Mumbai Style Veg Toast Sandwich

Living in Mumbai,one can experience a lot of street food items.Believe me its a treat to our taste buds.How much ever people crib about hygiene and cleanliness,people simply forget all of that when at a Pani Puri Stall or any Chat Stall and just get immersed in enjoying the chat. Not to forget ,that there are stalls that sell chat items made using Mineral Water  !!! Yes ,Yes ,you read it right..Mineral Water :-)
The traditional Dosas have been  adjusted to fit into the taste of the North Indians with varieties like Pav Bhaji Dosa,Veg Chopsuey Dosa,Schezuan Dosa etc etc.Such is the spirit of Mumbai and its Ever growing Food Lovers.
Now coming to the blog post..Sandwich...ahh!! the name itself makes me  drool.Again,its not just one variety.Go to a Sandwich Stall and you see a menu with atleast 10 different varieties..Club Sandwich,Grill Sandwich,Samosa Sandwich,Aloo Tikki Sandwich ,Plain veg sandwich,Toast Sandwich et al.
Even with so many varieties,the toast sandwich has been an evergreen hit among people of all age
groups.The specialty is that the sandwich is toasted using a hand toaster slowly over the charcoal which helps in slow cooking of the veggies inside and infuses a smoky flavor which is simply amazing.Here ,I have used the electric sandwich toaster,which gives a very close taste to what the hand toaster would give. There are various brands that manufacture the hand sandwich toaster,available in India.
Nostalgia !! Nostalgia !! Nostalgia !! I can go on and on about Mumbai and its street food ...
How much I miss .....
Now off to the recipe..

Preparation Time : 30 mins
Cooking Time : 10 mins
Makes about 3 sandwiches

Mumbai Style Veg Sandwich

Veggie Fried Rice

After my hands on making Hakka Noodles, I went ahead to make Fried Rice which was a long due.
Doesn't sound good to blow my own trumpet,but I have to say it,..it did turn out well and compliments were given by my hubby saying "The Flavor is really good" . :-)
Indeed a big feather on my cap. To go with the fried rice,I made Chilli Baby Corn - semi dry gravy.

Preparation Time :10 mins
Cooking Time : 30-45 mins
Serves : 2-3

Moong Dal Pakodas / Yellow Split Lentil Fritters

Who would not like to treat the taste buds with a palate of crispy,hot snacks and a piping cup of tea?Well,this is an apt snack for tea time,weekend parties or any get together.
Try this very famous street food of Mumbai aka Bombay which is served very very hot from the frying pan to the plate . This is a go to snack for many office goers on their return home as it is filling and tasty .

Requires some 3-4 hrs of preparation time and about 15 mins for grinding and frying you have the best snack with you to please your tummy :-)

Cripsy from the out and soft from inside,serve with tomato sauce or Mint Corriander chutney.

Preparation Time : 3-4 hrs (minimum 1hr soaking is needed)
Cooking Time : 20 mins
Makes about 24-30 pakodas / bhajias/ fritters

Neer Mor / Neer Majjige (Spiced Butter Milk) - Ramanavmi Prasad

Traditionally buttermilk is the residue that is left after churning out the butter/cream from yogurt.
Buttermilk / Mor / Chaas is a favorite summer cooler in most parts of Indian sub continent.

Come summer, we can find stalls along the streets serving cool buttermilk  churned out from huge earthen pots to the weary travelers during the scorching summer months.

Neer Mor (Neer - water ; Mor - Buttermilk) is the South Indian version of  savory butter milk. During summer even temples serve Neer Mor as prasadam to the devotees after the daily veneration and pooja rituals at the temple.

In South India the flavor of curry leaves and ginger will be predominant in the buttermilk while in North India ,roasted cumin powder ,black salt, chat masala etc are used for flavoring the buttermilk.

 In North India  Masala chaas  and Pudina Chaas are the favorite versions of savory buttermilk..Sweetened version of buttermilk is called Lassi and it is slightly dense and creamier than the chaas /mor.

Neer Mor is offered as a Prasadam /Neivedhiyam along with Panakam ,Kosamri (Vada Paruppu) on Rama Navami- Birth of Lord Sri Rama.

(write up and photos updated on April 8th 2022)

Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time: Nil
Serves : 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup thick curd / non flavored yogurt
1 tsp grated ginger
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
4-5 curry leaves finely chopped
corriander/cilantro leaves chopped
pinch of asafoetida

4 cups water
salt to taste

Method

• Add the ginger,  green chillies and curry leaves in a blender jar and give it a  quick pulse in your blender to a form a paste.
• In a big pitcher or wide mixing bowl whisk the yogurt along with the green chilli paste, salt and asafoetida till they mix well.
• Slowly add the water and using a manual whisk or hand blender, blend it until frothy.
• Garnish with fresh corriander and serve chilled.

Note:

• In case,you donot have a hand blender,beat the curd well along with other ingredients except water using a spoon until creamy.
• Slowly add the water and stir well until all ingredients are well incorporated.
• Mustard seeds,seasoned in oil can also be added to the buttermilk for added flavor and taste.

You can also try the Omavalli Neer Mor . This is very flavorful and has a unique taste from the ajwain leaves also known as Dodpattre or Karpooravalli . 

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Rajma Masala / Red Kidney Bean Curry

Rajma (Hindi ) / Red Kidney Bean (English) ,though not a native of Indian bean variety,has gained popularity in North Indian Cuisine and is an inevitable part of any North Indian feast.
This bean was brought to the Indian sub continent from Central Mexico and Guatemala.
Some of the best grown rajma is from Jammu,India. They are small in shape and deep red in color with a slightly sweet taste.

Rajma  is a hard bean and takes time to cook,hence needs to be soaked for more than 10-12 hrs.

The gravy/curry is made using whole Indian spices and is a perfect accompaniment with steaming hot rice or rotis.

Rajma Chawal is a delicacy and heart throb of most North Indians. Any special occasion or event won't be celebrated without Rajma Chawal .Rajma Chawal has the same emotional connect with a North Indian especially Punjabis just the way Curd Rice had an emotional connect with a South Indian.

Nutrition Facts
100 grams of boiled Rajma beans contain 140 calories. 5.7 grams of protein, 5.9 grams of fat and nearly 17.8 grams of carbohydrate

Why do we have to soak the beans? 

• Soaking of beans for min 8 hrs or overnight ensures that the complex sugars present in them are broken down and it makes it easy to digest .
• Soaking also ensures quick cooking and less time and fuel spent in kitchen. 
• Before cooking, discard the soaked water , rinse it once again in fresh water and the beans are ready to be cooked.  
• If the beans are soaked overnight, we don't have to use cooking soda to make it soft. 
• Cooking for 7 to 8 whistles in a pressure cooker does the job well.

Rajma lovers like our family,am sure these recipes will be loved by you

Mexican Bean Rice

Bean Corn Quesedillas

Rajma pulao 

Vegan Rajma Masala (no Onion No garlic)

Rajma Sundal/Rajma Warm Salad

This rajma masala is a recipe close to my heart and also a super hit with family and friends . This post has seen the light of the day after 12 years and have updated with some decent pictures and information about cooking rajma and links to my favorite recipes. 

Preparation Time : 12-24 hrs
Cooking Time : 40 mins
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

150 gms rajma / red kidney beans
2-3 medium sized tomatoes
1 medium sized onion chopped
1 tsp finely grated ginger
1 tsp garlic paste
2-3 bay leaves / tej patta
stick of cinnamon /dalchini
2-3 cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhania powder
pinch of turmeric
corriander/cilantro for garnish

Method

• Wash and soak the rajma overnight or for 24 hrs or atleast 12 hrs.
• Rinse the rajma well again and in a pressure cooker,add the rajma,bay leaf,cinnamon stick ,pinch of salt and about 2-3 cups of water.
• Pressure cook for about 3-4 whistles or until soft .Drain the water and keep the cooked rajma aside.
• Make a puree out of the tomatoes and keep ready.
• In a skillet/kadai,heat a little oil,crackle the cumin seeds and saute the whole spices (bay leaf,cinnamon and cloves).
• Add the onions and saute until light pink.
• Add the ginger,garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor is lost and finally add the tomato puree.
• Put in the chilli powder,dhania powder,tumeric and about 1 cup of water(the rajma cooked water can be used) and cook well until the water reduces and a gravy is formed.
• Add in the cooked rajma and cook covered for about 7-8 mins .
• Adjust the spices at this stage if you feel spice level /salt is needed.
• Garnish with corriander and serve hot with rice or rotis.

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Southekaai (Vellarikaai) Kosambri / Indian Style Cucumber Salad

Southekaai (Kannada) / Vellarikaai (Tamil) / Khira (Hindi) / Dosekaya (Telugu) / Cucumber is a sought after vegetable used in most Salads or curries which have a lot of vitamins and health benefits.
Fresh green cucumbers may be had as it is without any additions.The yellow cucumber variety also popularly known as Indian Cucumber is widely used in South India in stews,curries and gravies.

As a child ,cucumber has always been a summer special vegetable where in we would have the cool cucumber slices with a little salt and paprika sprinkled over  to beat the afternoon scorching sun.Now that it is summer now,you can include this simple salad in your daily meal.Quick to make and provides the necessary nutrients required .
This salad is a part of any South Indian festive meal especially during Rama Navami,a handful of soaked moong dhall is added to this salad and is offered to Lord Sri Rama as Neivedhiyam / Prasadam. This salad is also called as Vadai Paruppu in most Tamil house holds.


Preparation Time : 10 mins
Cooking Time : Nil
Serves : 3-4

Ingredients

2-3 medium sized green cucumber
2 tbsp grated coconut 
1 tsp pepper powder  

Finely  chopped corriander
salt 
For Tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dhall
1/2 tsp channa dhall
pinch of asafoetida 

Method

• Peel and wash the cucumber. Ensure that,you trim of the ends using knife and rub the ends to bring out the sticky, off-white, fluid like oozing substance. It helps to lessen bitter taste from the cucumber.
• Cut them into fine small cubes and put it in a mixing bowl.
• Prepare the tempering using the ingredients listed under Tempering .
• Add the grated coconut,tempering,pepper powder to the mixing bowl and toss well.
• Add salt just before serving and not well in advance else the salad will become soggy and the crispness of the cucumber will be lost.
• Garnish with fresh corriander. 
• Salad can be served chilled or in room temperature.

Notes :

• For those who love tangy flavor,a teaspoon of lime juice or small bits of raw mango can be added for that extra taste.