Brun: Kadak Pav

These golden brown beauties bring back lot of memories of my childhood. 

When we were in school, my sister and I used to carpool to school with group of other friends. 8:30 a.m. we would wait at a particular spot. That spot coincidentally was outside a little pav shop/ a small shop that would mainly sell varieties of bread. Occasionally, mummy would give us cash to buy maska pav for our recess snack. It was great to see soft pav being stil open and lathered with amul butter. It was then packed in a newspaper for my sister and myself to take to school. Those were amazing school days! Next to soft bun pavs wes a stack of these beautiful dark colored pav breads. I wasn't sure of the taste, but they just were very appealing. So one day. instead of buying bun maska for recess snack, I bought these golden brown pav. And only during recess, I realized that these were kadak pav... yes for a school going child, these were kadak. Kadak means hard...they were hard from outside and soft from inside. Nice, chewy, and delicious to taste :)

Check out my post on Bun Maska.

I had totally forgotten about them until our Irani/Parsi friends reminded me of it. I have made my pav for bhaji for my friends and tasting my regular soft pav, my friends demanded for brun... kadak pav came back to my life after so many years, and that is when I realized i have had brun in my childhood. I had made crisp bread before and I applied my knowledge of baking here to make brun bread. 

So while our Irani/Parsi friends were here last weekend, We had freshly baked Brun pav, maskao, and choi (chai) with our never ending GupShup :) Love you guys for so much fun we have together!

So what is BRUN? Brun means browing... brun pav are dark brown, hard, and crisp bread that are the delicacy of Irani bakeries in Mumbai and Pune. There are very few Irani Bakeries, but we still visit them for the pav, mawa cake, khari biscuit, and other freshly baked products. If you are not able to visit an Irani cafe soon, try making some brun at home... they are super easy to make and bake. They could be round or big and oval in shape. Our friends said these small round ones are mostly from Mumbai called Goti Brun. :) Below are some of the photos of Irani cafe, Yazdani and Merwan in Mumbai where I had visited.

Ingredients (makes 15 brun pav)

1+1/4 cup warm wtaer

1+1/2 tbsp. sugar

3 cups all purpose flour

1 packet yeast (active dry or rapid rise)

1+1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. butter

• In a large bowl add yeast and sugar. Add warm water (heat water in microwave for 30 seconds) to yeast and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 5 mins. 
• Add flour, salt, and softened butter to yeast mixture.
• Using a wooden spoon or a spatula mix and bring all ingredients together.
• Use your palm and fist to knead the dough for 4-5 minutes to make a soft dough.
• Cover and keep it aside in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough will double in size.
• Take a baking pan (11inches X 18 Inches). grease it well and also sprinkle dry flour. Thin layer of dry flour with stick well on greased pan.
• Knead the dough again for 4-5 mins. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and arrange in a pan. Cover the pan again and keep in a warn place for 1 to 1+1/2 hour for the dough to rise again.
• Preheat convection oven to 400 F. Place a big pan on the bottom of the rack. the pan is the one that will contain water later and provide steam for the brun to be hard and crisp after baking. 
• When preheated, place pav tray in the middle rack. Add 4 cups of hot water into the bottom large pan.
• Close the oven immediately and let the brun pav bake for 30 minutes or till they turn into beautiful brown color.
• Remove pav and place the tray on a a wire mesh. 
• Remove pav on wire mesh to avoid getting moist with the steam.
• Serve with butter and enjoy with chai!

 Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

In a large bowl add yeast and sugar. Add warm water (heat water in microwave for 30 seconds) to yeast and mix well. Let the mixture rest for 5 mins. 

Add flour, salt, and softened butter to yeast mixture.

This spatula is a gift from my sister... she always brings me cute and thoughtful things :)

Using a wooden spoon or a spatula mix and bring all ingredients together.

Use your palm and fist to knead the dough for 4-5 minutes to make a soft dough.

Knead the dough again for 4-5 mins. Divide the dough into 15 equal pieces and arrange in a pan. 

Cover the pan again and keep in a warn place for 1 to 1+1/2 hour for the dough to rise again.

Preheat convection oven to 400 F. Place a big pan on the bottom of the rack. the pan is the one that will contain water later and provide steam for the brun to be hard and crisp after baking. 

When preheated, place pav tray in the middle rack. Add 4 cups of hot water into the bottom large pan.

Close the oven immediately and let the brun pav bake for 30 minutes or till they turn into beautiful brown color.

Remove pav and place the tray on a a wire mesh.

Remove pav on wire mesh to avoid getting moist with the steam.

Serve with chai and butter.

Enjoy with Chai!!

Schezwan Noodle Frankie

If you are from Mumbai, you will surely know of this popular street food! Growing up in Mumbai this was my favorite too. Just an introduction: Frankie is a roll or a wrap with burst of flavors. A simple street -food years back has turned into fun and staple of most youths in Mumbai. If you go to a Frankie stall you would mostly see college students there. It is supposedly a popular hangout place for them.

I love the taste and texture of Frankie, and I remember making my first Frankie when I was 14... I had just come home from school with Frankie on my mind and had to recreate the recipe. And you know who my critic was then? my darling, my sweetheart, my sister. She liked it and she approved it!!  More than 20 year now, I have followed my same created recipe, shared Frankie with my friends and family, made it for picnics and parties, and it has always been loved by all. Check out my post and recipe or Mumbai Potato Frankie by clicking on this link.

Although we loved street-food Frankie, we did not belong to the family where street-food or outside food or fast-food was allowed. We were not given allowances or pocket money to spend on whatever we wanted. There was surely a check on what we would do and where we would go. The easiest option to all this was to replicate delicious food at home. And this practice still prevails!

Base of Frankie roll is a crepe made of all purpose flour/maida. I do substitute this for whole wheat flour and it still is delicious. My earlier Frankie post is made of organic whole wheat flour. Growing up, there were not many stuffings offered. It would either be a vegetarian one made with potatoes and a non-vegetarian one with chicken. But now, various flavors and stuffings are available, but the simple one is still my favorite. In Mumbai I would stop and go over their entire menu but order the simple old fashioned Frankie.

This post is my trial to different stuffing. This Frankie is stuffed with spicy schezwan noodles. On the bed of crunchy cabbage and chopped onions, it has perfect flavor and texture.

Ingredients:
To make 6-8 crepes:
2 cups maida/ all purpose flour
1 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 +1/2 cup water
Oil for shallow frying

For stuffing:
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup shredded chabbage
1/4-1/2 cup schewan sauce
Vegetable schezwan noodles
Chaat Masala

To make crepes:

• Mix all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and water to make a thick pouring batter.
• Heat a non stick griddle.
• Pour around 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter on a medium hot griddle and spread it evenly neither very thin nor thick. Use few drops of oil around and on top of the crepe and fry till cooked on both sides. 
• Leave in a plate and stack all the crepes on each other.

Make schezwan noodles and keep them aside. Check my recipe here.

To assemble:

• Heat the griddle once again.
• Put the prepared crepe and press lightly and fry on both sides till it turns slightly golden brown.
• Remove in a plate. Spread some schezwan sauce on the crepe. Spread shredded cabbage and chopped onions. 
• Put some schezwan noodles and sprinkle chaat masala. 
• Roll it lightly and place the Frankie roll in a bag or wrap with paper and serve.

Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:

Mix all purpose flour, salt, baking soda, and water to make a thick pouring batter.
Heat a non stick griddle.
Pour around 1/4 to 1/2 cup batter on a medium hot griddle and spread it evenly neither very thin nor thick. Use few drops of oil around and on top of the crepe and fry till cooked on both sides.

Leave in a plate and stack all the crepes on each other.

Put the prepared crepe and press lightly and fry on both sides till it turns slightly golden brown.

Remove in a plate. Spread some schezwan sauce on the crepe. Spread shredded cabbage and chopped onions. 

Put some schezwan noodles and sprinkle chaat masala.

Roll it lightly and place the Frankie roll in a bag or wrap with paper and serve.

Enjoy Mumbai Style Schezwan Noodle Frankie!

Dahi Batata Puri

Dahi which is yogurt, Batata is boiled potato, Puri is crisp puffed wafer... this recipe is favorite of most people in India and it falls in the family of Chaats. Chaats...a street food that is the combination of sweet, sour, and spicy and is just delicious. I don't think I am doing justice by describing it. You need to taste it to experience the flavors of this Mumbai Chaat. Our Chaat party would be incomplete without Dahi Batata Puri. It is our dessert after Pani Puri. :)

A delicious snack, an amazing appetizer, a perfect bite size hors d'oeuvre, Dahi Batata Puri is game for everything and is an all time winner. I have prepared this ample number of times and was wondering why haven't I posted it on my blog yet. I finally got my answer...I did not have a perfect platter to serve or present it. And now that I have one...couldn't wait to use it.

Do you see this beautiful, handmade, wood burnt spoon? It was a gift from an artist friend from Art Heart and Souls. A personalized gift for my kitchen!!! OMG I love it!!! This is a food safe product and I am so excited to use it to serve dips and appetizers in it. I had to showcase my favorite Chaat in my favorite serve ware :)

Ingredients to make 30-40 dahi batata puris (serves 4-5 people)

30-40 puffed puris store bought or here is my recipe to make them at home)

3 boiled potatoes (finely chopped)

1/2 cup moong  beans (soaked for few hours or overnight ans boiled in water with some salt)

1/2 cup black/brown chana (soaked for few hours or overnight ans boiled in water with some salt)

1/2 cup boondi (farsan boondi is optional. It can be used in the absence of moong and chana.)

Salt

2 tbsp. cumin powder (dry roast cumin seeds and powder them)

2 tbsp. red chili powder

1 tbsp. Chaat masala (tangy spice mix)

1 cup date and tamarind chutney (click for my recipe)

1 cup Mint Cilantro Chutney.

3 cups plain yogurt

2 cups thin sev noodles ( found in Indian Grocery Store)

Chopped cilantro to garnish

To make Mint and Cilantro chutney

1 cup cilantro, 1/2 cup mint leaves, 1 tbsp. peanuts, 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, 2-3 green chilies, 1/2 tsp. salt lime juice.

Grind well with little water.

In a bowl mix boiled chopped potatoes, boiled moong, boiled chana, and boondi. Add 1+1/2 tsp. salt, 1+1/2 tsp. cumin powder, 1+1/2  tsp. red chili powder.

Whisk yogurt with 1+1/2 tsp. salt to form a smooth mixture. Leave it aside.

Crack puris gently with your fingers of a handle of a spoon. Lay it on a plate.

Fill each puri with around 3/4 to 1 tsp. filling.

Pour around 3/4 to 1 tsp. sweet chutney and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. coriander chutney in each puri.

Pour Yogurt into each puri.

Sprinkle cumin powder, red chili powder, and chaat masala over all the puris.

Garnish 1 tbsp. of thin sev over every puri.

Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy immediately!!

In a bowl mix boiled chopped potatoes, boiled moong, boiled chana, and boondi. Add 1+1/2 tsp. salt, 1+1/2 tsp. cumin powder, 1+1/2  tsp. red chili powder.

Whisk yogurt with 1+1/2 tsp. salt to form a smooth mixture. Leave it aside.

Crack puris gently with your fingers of a handle of a spoon. Lay it on a plate.

Fill each puri with around 3/4 to 1 tsp. filling.

Pour around 3/4 to 1 tsp. sweet chutney and 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. coriander chutney in each puri.

Pour Yogurt into each puri.

Sprinkle cumin powder, red chili powder, and chaat masala over all the puris.

Garnish 1 tbsp. of thin sev over every puri.

Garnish with cilantro.

Enjoy this Lip-Smacking Chaat!!!