Vada Pav, wrapped with love - from Mumbai!

 

In Mumbai do as the Mumbaikars do. And what is the secret of the energy of the financial capital of India? What keeps the city that never sleeps up and running at all hours of the day? Well, the answer is possibly a little too modest for so bombastic a question - it is the unassuming yet very charismatic "Vada Pav"!

 

Straight out of the heart of Maharashtra in Western Indian, Vada Pav has iconic status in India. It used to be "poor man's food", but these days even the rich and famous can be spotted eating it at Bombay's (Mumbai) numerous roadside food-stalls!

 

Vada pav is a vegetarian fast food dish native to Indian state of Maharashtra and is one of the most popular and cheapest fast foods of Mumbai. It consists of a Batata (Marathi for potato) Vada a deep-fried potato mash patty served in a salted bun (pav) with savory condiments.

 

The potatoes are mashed or diced, made into patties, coated and mixed with green chilies, ginger and a phodani that is tempering of mustard seeds and turmeric. These balls are then dipped in an herb-seasoned batter made with gram flour, and then it is deep-fried. The finished vada is then placed between the halves of a small bun called a pav, a word borrowed for a bun borrowed by Marathi from the Portuguese pão (lit., "bread") and served with condiments such as various chutneys, red chili powder or green chilis (sometimes fried and salted). The chutneys are often made of coconut, tamarind pulp or garlic. Often just the vada can become a very good snack but then again that doesn't make it an "authentic" vada pav, does it? For the true blue Mumbaikars only the real Mc Coy would do.

The Vada Pav is considered staple teatime snack in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, where it has been popularized as street food. Vada Pav is available on hand carts, popularly known as Vada Pav chi gadi. They are seen everywhere in Maharashtra and also served at tea time in many of the state's small eateries and on long distance trains.

Chat and Lick – the Chaats of India

Chaat is plate of savory snacks, typically served at road-side tracks from stalls or carts in India, Pakistan and the rest of South Asia. the name originates from the licking of fingers that ensues after the consumption of this mouth watering dish - as the word chaat in Hindi means "to lick". The chaat variants are all based on fried dough, with various other ingredients. The original chaat is a mixture of potato pieces, crispy fried bread, gram bean and spices, but other popular variants included Aloo Tikkis (garnished with onion, coriander, hot spices and a dash of curd), bhel puri, dahi puri, panipuri, dahi vada, papdi chaat, and sev puri. There are common elements among these variants including dahi, or yogurt; chopped onions and coriander; sev (small dried yellow noodles); and chaat masala. This is a masala, or spice mix, typically consisting of amchoor (dried mango powder), cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, and red pepper. The ingredients are combined and served on a small metal plate or a banana leaf, dried and formed into a bowl.

 

One of the special kinds of Chaats is the very admired Papri Chaat/ Paapri Chaat / Papdi Chaat which is mostly popular with the north Indians. Papri refers to crispy fried dough wafers made from refined white flour and oil. In Papri Chaat, the papris are served with boiled potatoes, boiled chick peas, chilies, and yoghurt and tamarind chutney and topped with chaat masala and 'sev'. The popular dish is often eaten from travelling food vendor stalls.

The other more healthy homemade versions of the chaats also exist. Particularly the boiled potato chaat called the Aloo chaat or the Aloo kabli. But the popularity of the chaat remains due its position as a street food.

On a Roll

 

 

Are you in a hurry and yet so hungry that you feel you could eat the Earth and its Mother all at the same time? Well then, if you are in Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal in India, you're in for a treat! For this is the birthplace of the world famous Kati Roll.

 

Kati roll is a street-available fast food popular in Kolkata. In Kolkata, it is thought to be introduced by Nizam's, a restaurant in the city noted for its Mughlai food. In Mumbai, it is similar to a Frankie.

It is said that the Kati roll was the result of a huge brain wave on a busy day, when the number of customers purchasing kebab and parathas (fried Indian flat bread) outstripped the rate at which plates could be washed, so the chef decided to wrap some of the kebabs in parathas rather than serve them on plates. And Hey Presto! The original Kati Roll was born! By now it has conquered the world enough for it to be known in the western world as a delicacy on the move. The word Kati is actually originated from the rod on which the kebabs are speared for roasting and the word Roll is obvious in its etymology as it is clearly a reference to the action of rolling the paratha around the kebabs.

The basic kati roll begins with paratha toasted on a frying pan. Whipped egg is poured in the center of the frying pan and topped with the bread. Fried vegetables are roasted in butter and stuffed inside. Spices, red onion slivers and lime are sprinkled on top. Spicy potatoes, cottage cheese, chicken tikka or mutton can also be stuffed inside. At certain outlets, the roll comes wrapped around a non-greasy Rumali Roti (another Indian bread, this one is not fried).

Light – on the pocket and stomach - Phuchka

 

If you're Indian, more importantly a Bengali, there is absolutely no need for me to explain to you what a "Phuchka"/"Golgappa"/"panipuri" means. In my travels through the world for newer climes and more varied cuisines I've rarely come across any other food which elicits such emotional reaction as this street food in north, east and west of India!

What is a Phuchka? In the west and in the north of India they call it Golgappa or Panipuri. It also goes by the name of Bataashaa or Gup-chup. They are also quite popular in Pakistan and Bangladesh. It has became pretty common in Bangalore as a result of the migration of people from west and north Indians there in 1970s. Eating a few panipuris generally marks the finale of a chaat-eating session.

In the eastern India particularly in Bengal, Phuchka is the crispy small rounded fried flour balls, that are as light as air, when these are broken in the middle there is a "phuch" like sound. From there comes the name, "Phuchka". It's really yummy. Unlike other places in India where they pour chick peas or channa inside each puri, the Bengalis pour a potato mixture to which all the hot and sour spices as well as channa and coriander are mixed by hand. This potato mixture is simply like a trip to heaven. Then the mixture once put inside the fried balls they are served with a sweet and sour tamarind and cilantro mixture in water that has lots of chilli and cumin dust in it too. Sometimes instead of using water as a serving base, dahi (yogurt) is used. The yogurt is beaten after adding a little date chutney (sauce). Ground spices are sprinkled over it and garnished with a mixture of spicy dry ingredients like puffed rice, savory noodles and peanuts.

On the Taste Streets

 

Let's face it, food is the sole most significant commodity in any of our shopping baskets and street food shapes a major chunk thereof. For instance, studies have found that the poorest section of the society uses up to 40% of their food budget and 25% of their total spending budget on street food.

 

Street food is the creation of crowded cities and signifies different things to different people, be it the schoolchildren on their way to school or the holidaymaker staying in a big city or the vendor selling the food. It is ready-to-eat foods or beverages, which comprises many types of foods ranging from cereal and fruits to cooked meats and beverages. It is generally sold in busy intersections and public areas and is served with the minimum amount of fuss in single portions dished into take-away containers. These containers come in a variety of materials such as disposable plastic, paper and Styrofoam or even clay plates, bowls, cups and utensils. It has become a main food for the commuters, workers, students and schoolchildren, migrants and tourists who find themselves far from home when hunger hits at mealtimes, because it is cheap and sold in flexible quantities. Anywhere you go, you will find street food as an interwoven part of the local economy.

 

People want to know that the food they buy and eat is safe. The test is therefore to develop the safety of street food by working with vendors. Certain simple practices like using potable water for preparing the food and using clean and hygienic utensils for storing and serving the food go a long way in meeting this very just consumer demand.

 

Haute cuisine is an indulgence, but street food is where it's at! It is part of an individuality expressed through culinary terms. It is a natural idiom of culture that cannot be found anywhere else. Enduring consumer fondness reflects this strength of cultural identities articulated in the cuisine and culinary traditions found on the streets.

 

Stay tuned to travel the world with me on a gastronomical journey with a difference! Know the very souls of the countries we visit because the street foods in these lands reflect their culture like nothing else can.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Chocolate! (part VII)

 

El Rey offers 8 oz. Bags for $10.95 for Roasted Cocoa Nibs and although that may sound like a lot—there isn't any place I can think of in the other parts of the world to get them. Besides, you can be the first person on your block to snack on cacao (if you can handle it, that is) and keep in mind that just a little goes a long way. There is something about getting chocolate from makers that have the beans grown locally but often, countries that produce the beans ship them off to larger, more developed nations for processing. Buying from El Rey supports an entire local economy and although this might not be of primary concern in your quest for good chocolate, it is something to think about.

So now, we'll skip over to the Middle East, not surprising keeping in mind that people everywhere love chocolate. Israel isn't normally someplace you'd remember when you hear "chocolate" but there is a small company called Momentum that makes kosher chocolate that they distribute all over the world. My friend Roxy had some of this chocolate and it was just great—not as high class as some of the companies I've mentioned recently, but many off-the-rack American chocolates couldn't hold a candle to Momentum. Although you may be able to find kosher chocolates where you shop, these Israeli chocolates can be delivered in bright colorful cellophane parcels right to your (or a friend's) door. This company also offers other treats and Jewish eats and it is fun to look at their English-language website.

The only criticism I have of any international chocolate I've tried is the Japanese brand Meiji. I haven't had sufficient familiarity with Chinese or Japanese chocolate to suggest a better product, but Meiji tastes a tad like unrefined sugar doused in molasses. It is appallingly sweet and ignores any of the natural taste of the bean. Even though I am not a admirer of the taste, it is interesting and fun to try the chocolate of other cultures, not only to see if it's tasty or not, but just to take part in the global love of the treat, so it's worth trying, just to pick up the difference in processing and refining. While I am still on the lookout for a quality Asian chocolate, I also continue sampling brands that I haven't mentioned here. I can't tell you what a wonderful idea it is to make gift cases for your friends with chocolates they've never tried before and while it may sometimes make a costly gift, it is always worth it when you see that singular smile that comes over someone's face at the idea of chocolate!

It’s Chocolate! (part VI)

 

The Domori is very alert about that they do and even if you aren't looking to buy any of their creations, they have a grand website that clarifies the ins-and-outs of natural-process chocolate making and you'll come off with a better appreciation of the effort that goes into a bar of chocolate, from the plant to the mold.

If you are looking for a Spanish specialty, search no further than Lopez Echeto. While I am not sure of their authentic bars of chocolate, I am quite fond their "piedras". These Spanish delights have a toasted almond that is covered in a ball of dark chocolate and then rolled in cocoa. They are a little larger than golf balls and are a very rich delicacy that is nearly impossible to eat in one session. Lopez Echeto is the most famous piedras maker in Spain and if you love almonds, this is something you must try.

Since I'm on the topic of Latin delicacies and chocolate, let's cross the ocean and head to Venezuela, where Latin America's supreme chocolate maker El Rey (no connection similar-sounding Del Rey) is based. This company uses locally mature beans and their chocolate has a bitterer, heartier taste than other smoother European varieties. What is most significant about this chocolate is how well you can taste the real raw substance—the beans. While delectable, this is not anything like American or European chocolate as it tastes less refined however this is isn't a negative facet, just a variation in processing. El Rey also offers an inimitable treat that gets down to the heart of chocolate—Roasted Cacao Nibs. These are highly effective snacks that let you savor the natural base of chocolate. While they don't automatically taste like the chocolate we're used to, they do have an interesting zest. Some people chomp this by the teaspoonful for a snack with a kick and it also useful in cooking some dishes and desserts.