Vada Pav....pride of Mumbai

 I am a Mumbai brand of street food since 1966, celebrating it's 55th year....I Am

"VADA PAV”   

It was a time when south Indian restaurants were under stress from locals. Not eating idli dosa required an option and there the germ of my existence took birth. Shri Balasaheb Thackeray appealed to Maharashtrians to become entrepreneurs the way South Indians had by setting up Udupi restaurants. Dadar the hub of "marathi manus" was my birth place. Ashok Vaidya first introduced Vada pav at Dadar....the first mashed potato ball mixed with chilli, garlic, spices and coriander was made, dipped in besan (gram flour batter with added soda-bi-carb for puffy look) and lightly slid in hot oil for deep frying. 

The golden yellow colour that I took to was the gift of Ashok.

That day till today I have been satisfying the hunger not only of crores of Mumbaikar's but I flew n spread all over India and in foreign countries like UK, Middle East and became a part of Indian snack menu.

Today I am among top five popular street foods and if, while on the streets someone feels hungry at odd times many times it's 'Me' who they remember...." "चलो वडा पाव खाते हैं".

For the poor or labourer or salesperson or  person short on cash I, The Vada Pav is what they look forward to calm their hungry tummies.

The moment I dive in the kadhai or frier, my aroma pulls the young n old, rich n poor like pier piper and they can't resist to take a bite. They line up, scramble, wait patiently for their turn but don't give up till they cradle me in the paper plates with hot spicy red coconut dry chutney.....and यम्म्म आहाहा sounds are made while I am slowly, lovingly and sometimes hurriedly gorged upon accompanied by hot Tea (Chai) 

Stalls, restaurants have become popular only selling me..... मामा काणे at Dadar, रमाकांत at Khopoli, Diwadkar at Karjat station, दत्त snacks at panvel (all these since 1970), shri Krishna Batatavada  near Chabbildas, Batatawada Samrat in Santacruz. I was always available at all railway stations            throughout Maharashtra, at every nook n corner of Mumbai. My popularity continues Ashok Vadapav near kirti college, Anand Vada Pav outside Mithibai College in Mumbai and all over Maharashtra with"जोशी वडेवाले", Foodmall on Mumbai Pune Expressway, Jumbo King ...it's an unending list.

Be it a light morning bite or a evening snack with office colleagues or a "वडापाव चाय" party   I am affordable for all pockets. 

You will be amazed that the star Hotels cash on my "Mumbai Vada Pav" name in thier menu by charging anything between Rs.300 to Rs.450, the foreign tourist happily enjoying Me! With the change in cuisine trends I am being sold as deconstructed Vada Pav and I was amazed at the innovation...spiced mashed potato , garlic chutney in starch pouch, cooked besan mix all to be mixed and spread on pav and eat. It did taste 90% like Vada Pav.

Some broad recipe outlines of my different variations (besan coating same)

1.Original - potato, ginger garlic, green chilli, corriander, turmeric.

2. Highway - same as above with addition of dhania jeera powder and curry leaves.

3. Green masala - corriander, green chilli, garlic, mustard seeds, curry leaves. 
4. Home style - potato, ginger garlic, green chilli, corriander, turmeric, mustard seeds.

Shapes can be round ball or flat patty. Deep fried.

I, VADA PAV thanks millions of fans across the globe for being with me. Jai Maharashtra !  

EGGS....the most versatile of foods.

 

EGGS....the most versatile of foods.

Egg are of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, a few mammals and fish, and many of these have been eaten by humans for thousands of years. The most commonly consumed eggs are chicken eggs. Other poultry eggs including those of duck, quail & emu also are eaten. Fish eggs are called roe and caviar and are expensive delicacies.

Chicken eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savoury, including many baked goods. Some of the most common preparation methods include scrambled, fried, poached, hard-boiled, soft-boiled, omelettes and pickled. They also may be eaten raw for its raw protein & some cocktails do use egg yolk or whites.

A very Breakfast material, eggs also are consumed for hi tea & it was once a part of Classical 12course Menu. Eggs as ingredients are used in bakery, confectionary products as well as desserts, starters. Egg yellows mashed, whipped whites, mixed with other ingredients, boiled n chopped in salads....eggs have umpteen uses in culinary art.

In this article I choose to write few Maharashtrian Egg Dishes (Maharashtra is a state in India) that are eaten not only by non-vegetarians but a class termed as Eggitarian (basically vegetarians eating egg). Egg was never a breakfast item in Maharashtra as mostly the staple consisted of vegetarian dishes /snacks.

A certain steamed egg preparation was eaten much before addition of omelette (popularly known as Pola). The steamed egg preparation named “Andyache Vaffole” 
gets its name from being steamed (whipped eggs poured over julienne onions, chopped chillies, coriander and sprinkled with turmeric, salt and steamed in a flat vessel). It is a quick simple dish that can be eaten with jowar bhakri or chapati.

The egg dishes eaten in meals range from Egg curry to Egg masala to Stuffed Eggs to Eggs on bed on vegetables to Egg Rice.

Egg curries (Kalvan in Marathi) are varied as per regions like malvani, kolhapuri (with coconut base), khandeshi Savji(very spicy) are made mostly with boiled eggs but some households make the curry with egg directly to the simmering curry that makes the curry thick too and the egg yolk in this curry is awesome to eat.

Egg Masala are thick gravy (sauces) with boiled eggs added. The dry Masala (spiced mix) with roasted coconut, onion, poppy seeds mixture is stuffed in the eggs and generous addition of thick gravy while cooking.  

These egg dishes again take the regional flavour of coconut (malvani /kolhapuri), peanuts (kolhapuri, vidharbha, puneri) as one of the main ingredients.

The common household makes egg pakoda (with spiced gramflour batter)

egg pola (type of omelette with chillies, onion, coriander), egg bhurji (spiced scrambled egg)  and also use the beaten egg to coat chunks of meat or poultry (fried mutton/chicken), liver (fried chicken or mutton liver), Maratha chicken chops (marinated with spices, egg, rice flour). 

One of my favourites is  “Kandya varche Ande”....heat oil, add cinnamon, cloves. Add julienne cut onions and sauté till well cooked, add turmeric, chilli powder & either of maratha/malvani/khandeshi masala. Stir well, Break egg on bed of this mixture & steam for 5 minutes.

Recipes are so varied for these egg dishes that it will not be possible to add them here. You can browse the net for “maharashtrian egg dishes”.