ajayshah@alhena.usc.edu (Ajay Shah) (04/14/91)
Ingredients for bhaji to serve five : 1 kg tomatoes 0.5 kg potatoes One cauliflower 0.25 kg carrots 0.25 kg green bell peppers 0.25 kg peas. yellow butter for cooking in 2 tsp Jeera (something commonplace in English, but I don't recall it's name). Pao Bhaji Masala and Garam Masala (have to get these from an Indian store). Toppings: Cilantro (kothmir) green limes minced onions yellow butter Ingredients for pao Hot dog buns butter Precision demanded: Very little. Algorithm: 1. Destroy the potatoes and the cauliflower. This can be done either via boiling or in a microwave. If you use a microwave, then keep some water around; pure baking is not as good as when steam is present. The potatoes will take longer than the cauliflower. 2. Rudely chop the tomatoes into random sized pieces. Melt the butter in the pot. When it is hot enough, add the jeera. Avoid adding the jeera too early (i.e., the butter is so cold the jeera doesn't cook instantly). The jeera will get overcooked (dark brown) in no time: watch out! The moment the jeera is cooked, chuck in the tomatoes. Fry 'em totally thoroughly. 3. Reduce the carrots and the bell peppers into tiny pieces -- almost powder, but not quite -- in a mincer. 4. By this time, the tomatoes should be decently done. Put in all the salt you ever will put, two tsp of pao-bhaji masala and three tsp of Garam masala. After a minute or two, chuck in all the vegetables: destroyed potatoes, destroyed cauliflower, minced carrots+bell peppers. After a few minutes, put in the peas (thawed). 5. Cook this for a long, long time (at least 30 minutes). Keep adding water when it gets too dry. Gradually, adding more of the spices (both pao-bhaji masala and garam masala) depending on how spicy you want it. Save up some spices for the very end. When it's finished bubbling, put your last dash of spices and it's done. It'll taste better the next day! When you take a serving from the pot to a bowl (say), add generous quantities of toppings: minced onion, chopped cilantro, lime and a slice of butter. These are critical ingredients to the overall impact. 6. The pao. Take a pan and setup a low flame. Put a slice of butter and wait for it to melt. Open up the hot-dog bun. Before the butter turns brown, place the hot-dog bun (white-side down) on the butter. Cook for a few minutes till the bottom of the bun is a nice brown. Ajay Shah, (213)734-3930, ajayshah@usc.edu