This is a well-loved street food in India! Made from rice and mixed vegetables all stir-fried together on a large griddle-like pan called a Tava, it makes for a delicious and very satisfying meal. You can use almost any vegetable you like for this recipe. I prefer french beans (sliced thinly), peas, carrots (sliced into matchstick shape), tiny florets of cauliflower or broccoli, potato (diced very small or sliced thinly) and red or green bell peppers (sliced thinly). Combine these or others in any proportion that suits you best. This recipe will serve 2-3 people.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
- 1 green chilli chopped fine
- 1 large onion chopped very fine
- 1 large tomato chopped fine
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsps Paav Bhaaji Masala (see link below for recipe to make your own)
- 2 cups mixed vegetable (as mentioned above in introduction to this recipe)
- 3 cups cooked rice (preferably a long-grained rice like Basmati)
- Salt to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves to garnish
- Wedges of lime/ lemon to garnish
Preparation:
- Heat the oil on a large Tava on high heat (you can also use a Wok for this).
- Add the chopped green chillies and fry for 30 seconds. They will soon stop spluttering.
- Add the chopped onion and fry till soft.
- Add the chopped tomato, garlic and ginger pastes and fry for 2-3 minutes. Stir almost continuously with a slotted spoon using a mashing motion. The tomato should start to turn pulpy by now.
- Add the Paav Bhaaji Masala now and stir well. Fry for 1 minute.
- Add the mixed vegetables and stir well. Reduce heat to medium. If using a Tava, pull the entire mixture to the center and cover with a domed metal dish. If using a Wok, cover now. Cook till the vegetable are soft. Remove the cover.
- Add the rice now and stir well (but gently so as not to mash the cooked vegetables) to mix all ingredients. Add salt to taste. Stir some more and turn off heat.
- Plate out single serves and garnish with a sprinkling of chopped coriander and wedges of lime. Serve hot.
