“Pav bhaji on the street
Spicy, tangy, a perfect treat
Sliders in the stadium
Game, beer & meat, what fun
Combine the flavors, double yum,
Combine the styles, a sensational bun,
Eat it street style, keep wanting more,
Watch each party continuously score!”
Ingredients
For the filing
1 large eggplant
½ cup frozen peas
2 large plum tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
1 dry red chili, broken in half
2 tablespoons coriander powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon dry mango powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder (
or to taste
)
½ teaspoon pav bhaji masala (optional :
mixed spice for pav bhaji –an Indian street food
)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped coriander
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
For the salad
1 cup red cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup mixed peppers, julienned
½ cup spinach leaves, roughly torn
2 teaspoon mint leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoon coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
Others
2 teaspoon butter or margarine
2 tablespoons soft cream cheese
6 Slider Buns
We start with roasting the eggplant on open flame. Pierce the eggplant with BBQ skewers and put it directly on your stove. Keep turning from side to side till the outer skin becomes dark and charred, and the eggplant begins to collapse and turns soft on the inside. It will start to release juices but that is normal (although your gas would definitely need a tight scrub after!). When you're done roasting, keep the eggplant aside to cool a little. Once cooled, pull out the skin and mash the eggplant and keep aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the dry chili, garlic, ginger and onions and sauté till onions turn translucent. Stir in the tomatoes, peas, and all the dry spices. Mix well and cook covered on medium flame for 5-6 minutes, till the tomatoes are tender, cooked through and the oil begins to separate. Now add the eggplant, mix again and cook covered on medium flame for another 5-8 minutes and allow the eggplant to soak the flavors. If your mixture is too dry, you can add a few tablespoons of water, but not too much. Then turn the flame to high and sauté for 2-3 minutes. This process of braising (or 'bhuna' in hindi) really gives the vegetable a deep flavor. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
Mix all ingredients for the salad, toss slightly and keep aside.
Slice the slider buns in half. Apply some butter on both parts, and toast lightly on a non stick pan. Put a dash of cream cheese, and 1 tablespoon of the eggplant mixture on the buttered side of one half of the bun, top with a generous helping of the crisp salad and enjoy!
[Updated - more pics from other events using this recipe]
