Masala Toast Sandwich - Mumbai Street Style Snack

Street food is exactly what the word conjures up that food available in a public place such as from a vendor on a street. Typically street food is the term that signifies the widely available range of ready-to-eat food or beverage sold on the street or other public places like in market, park etc. It is sold by a vendor from a portable stall, cart or food truck. Some street foods are regional but many are not. Many street foods spread beyond their place of origin and are enjoyed locally for their exotic or unusual ingredients and flavors. Most street foods are considered both finger food and fast food and are more reasonably priced than restaurant meals. According to a study, around 2.5 billion people worldwide eat street food every day.

People enjoy street food for a number of reasons as for a quick, inexpensive bite on the run, to sample flavorful local or exotic food in a social setting, to experience new ethnic cuisines, to support entrepreneurs, small food businesses and local vendors as well. Well, this post is all about the famous Mumbai street style masala toast sandwich that too in a flame toaster ??.This toast sandwich is very popular snack across Mumbai. Anyone can find these at all corners and stalls of Mumbai. 

Basically a delicious spiced potato mixture is stuffed along with some veggie slices like onion slices, tomato slices, capsicum slices between slices of bread, toasted well in a flame toaster and finally served by sprinkling some sev and tongue tickling chutneys. The unique stove and the toaster used to make this masala toast is a typical trademark of Mumbai street-side food. I have prepared this toasted sandwich using a flame toaster which is put over the direct flame. But in case if this trademark toaster is not available, then electric griller or even pan can be used to make this masala toast sandwich. 

Green chutney though i have used for only serving, can be spread instead of butter on one side of the bread slices before putting all the stuffing in between the slices. Mainly after toasting these sandwiches are cut into 4 slices, then some crisp sev are sprinkled over these slices and finally served with chutneys. Many other vegetables like spinach, beans, carrots can be added with potato stuffing. I have used green peas and some coriander leaves along with potato for the stuffing. This sandwich is a perfect kids lunchbox and also a party appetizer. So lets go in details.

Preparation Time : 25 mins  |  Cooking Time : 25 mins 

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
for Potato Stuffing
Potato (boiled)	3 no.
Green peas (boiled)	¼ cup
Mustard seed	½ tsp
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Green chili	2 no.
Coriander leave (finely chopped)	1 tbsp
Oil	1 tsp
Salt	As needed
for Sandwich
Bread slice	10 no.
Onion slice	As needed
Tomato slice	As needed
Capsicum slice	As needed
Sandwich masala (optional)	1 tsp
Butter	1/8 cup
Green chutney	As needed
Tomato sauce	As needed
Sev	As needed

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add mustard seed and allow to crackle.
3. Then add finely chopped green chili, grated ginger. Saute well.
4. Next add boiled and roughly mashed potato, boiled green peas, turmeric powder and salt.
5. Mix everything well and cook over medium heat for 1 minute.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well.
7. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.
8. Now take two bread slices. Apply butter evenly on one side of each slices.
9. Top 1-2 tbsp of potato mixture on one bread slice having buttered side up.
10. Spread the mixture evenly using a spoon.
11. Then top with onion slices, tomato slices and capsicum slices.
12. Sprinkle a little sandwich masala over the slices.
13. Finally place the other bread slice with the buttered side down.
14. Now take the flame toaster (Mumbai street sandwich toaster) and grease the inside of the toaster with butter very well.
15. Put the sandwich in the greased toaster, lock the toaster and place over direct medium heat till one side turn brown and crisp.
16. Then flip the toaster and allow to toast the other side as well.
17. Turn off heat and take out the toasted sandwich from toaster to a serving plate.
18. Cut the sandwich into 4 equal slices diagonally or depending upon any choice-able shape.
19. Sprinkle some sev and serve this lip smacking masala toast sandwich Mumbai street style with tomato sauce and green chutney immediately !

Notes :

• If the flame toaster is not available then this toasted sandwich can be prepared using electric griller. Just follow the instruction mentioned in your electric griller.
• Even this can be toasted in a pan just by applying some butter on both side of the sandwich till golden and crisp.
• Other vegetables like beetroot slices, cucumber slices can also be placed inside sandwich.
• Any variety of bread can be used here.
• Sandwich masala is totally optional. Chat masala can be opted too.

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This Mumbai Street Style Masala Toast Sandwich is contributed for 37 Healthy Wellthy Cuisines where the theme is 'Street Food'. Here are more similar Street food recipes shared by our Healthy Wealthy Group members as aloo matar chaat, samosadillas, south Indian style masala puri chaat, pani puri / golgappa, tamatar chaat Banarasi style.

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Vegan Wonton Soup

Winter season is a certain period of time annually due to Earth’s revolution around the sun which is marked by a distinct wind pattern, low temperature, low humidity, high amount of sunlight etc. This season is one of the favorite for many people in the world because entire land will be covered with a thick blanket of snow. In India, winter season starts during the period close to Diwali and comes to an end before the Holi festival. This season opens the cold wind everywhere which lowers the temperature of the environment during this season.

During this season, it is advisable to wear tight clothes and thick clothes. In many places, people cannot go without woolen clothes. The atmospheric temperature decreases much as compared to other seasons. This is almost that time of the year when everyone'll feel so tempted to warm their belly😉. So how about a warm cup of soup to warm up during these low temperatures !!!

Vegan Wonton Soup - Vegan version of a classic Chinese soup with cabbage and carrot as filling.

Traditionally wontons are made by spreading a square wrapper (a dough skin made of flour, egg, salt and water) flat in the palm of one's hand, placing a small amount of filling in the center, sealing the wonton into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges (brushed by water) together with the fingers. Also all air pressed out before sealing the wonton to avoid rupturing of the wonton from internal pressure when cooked. The most common filling is ground pork and shrimp with a small amount of flour as binder. This filling is seasoned with salt, spices and often garlic. Wontons are commonly first boiled and served in soup. There are several variations of shape of the wontons in different region of China as well as other part of the world.

But here, this post is a completely vegan version of the wonton soup including the vegan wonton wrappers. The vegan wonton soup is so easy to make and quickly anyone can prepare this warm and comforting soup. The filling for the wontons are some finely chopped cabbage, onion, garlic along with some grated carrot. Tofu, mushroom can also be used as filling. The shape of the wontons here I have prepared in envelope style. But the shape of the wontons is totally desirable and needs some practice for perfect ones as well. Also the wonton wrappers used here is vegan version. Instead of boiling first the wontons and then serving in soup, here I have just prepared and kept the raw wontons and then cooked those along with soup. If the wontons are ready, then this vegan wonton soup is one of the easiest soup. 

Monday is again here and this time the theme for Foodie Monday Blog Hop is finalized as 'Winter Recipes'. So I have prepared this vegan wonton soup as contribution of mine. Lets go in details method of preparation. 

Preparation Time : 35 mins    |    Cooking Time : 20 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
for Wonton
All purpose flour	1 cup
Cabbage (finely chopped)	4 tbsp
Carrot (grated)	4 tbsp
Onion (medium)	1 no.
Ginger	½ inch
Oil	½ tsp
Salt	As needed
Water	As needed
For Soup
Onion (small)	1 no.
Garlic clove	1 no.
Green chili	2 no.
Soy sauce	½ tsp
Oil	½ tsp
Vinegar	1 tsp
Pepper powder	As needed
Water	4 cup

​
Method :

1. In a mixing bowl, take all purpose flour and then slowly pour water while stirring till it becomes a dough.
2. Knead for 5 minutes to make a smooth dough. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes.
3. In another mixing bowl, take finely chopped cabbage, grated carrot, finely chopped onion, grated ginger, salt and oil. Mix everything till incorporated.
4. Divide the dough into small lemon size balls.
5. Roll the ball on a floured surface into a thin circle, then trim the sides of the circle to make a square shape wonton wrapper. Discard the sides.
6. Place 1 tsp of filling onto the center of the wonton wrapper. Lightly brush the edges with water and then diagonally fold the wrapper squeezing out all the air inside so that a triangular shape will form. Press and seal the edges. 
7. Then place the wonton on the work surface putting the filling side towards you. Brush the left and right corner of the triangle with water and fold the two corners on top of the filling. Press again to seal and this results in an envelope style wonton.
8. Similarly make envelope style wontons from rest of the dough balls.
9. Keep aside all the wontons covered by a wet kitchen napkin or muslin cloth.
10. Now in a wok, saute finely chopped onion, garlic and green chilies in oil over low-medium heat.
11. Next add salt, water, soy sauce, vinegar and pepper powder. Give a stir and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
12. Then slowly drop wontons one by one in simmering broth.
13. Cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until wontons are tender and translucent. 
14. Turn off heat and serve immediately this vegan wonton soup hot !

Notes :

• Pepper powder can be added more depending upon the spiciness desired.
• Here I have shaped all the wontons as envelope style. Any other shape of wonton can be formed.
• Other fillings like tofu, paneer, mushroom can be included.
• Without making broth here, vegetable stock can be used directly.

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Coriander Lemon Soup

We are now well and truly into winter season. The temperature has dropped, the days are shorter and yes, suddenly salad does not seem like such an appealing one 😉 Now it’s time to bring on some soup ! Soup is very commonly made in every household during the winter. It is comforting, easy to prepare and filling too. Soup can warm the chill of a cool winter day and fill your kitchen with an inviting aroma.

The most healthful, nutritional soup uses a basic stock, a lean protein source (lean meat, fish or legume) and a variety of vegetables. You may surprise to know that not only soups are a great option nutritionally, but certain types of soup have also been proven to help in weight loss. In particular, vegetable based soups are nutritionally great as we can get lots of key nutrients including vitamins and minerals for relatively few calories. Mainly homemade soups are the best option. As a result we can control the type and amount of vegetables that we use to make our soup as well as choose to use preservative free stocks.

In winter season, we can easily get lots of green vegetables including leafy ones. So how about a soup using some leafy greens !!! yes, I am choosing the coriander leaves along with some tangy flavors from lemon to make a soup as Coriander Lemon Soup. It is very simple with easily available ingredients at home. This soup may look thick or clear. But I have opted for a medium consistency, neither too thick nor as a clear one. Basically this has a tangy flavor which comes from lemon juice and also I have used some finely chopped vegetables like cabbage and carrot. But these additions are totally optional.

The coriander lemon soup is a super healthy soup as it doesn’t use any sauces. Only by addition of vegetable stock along with coriander and some nutritious vegetables this soup becomes so refreshing one. This tangy hot soup can be a filling afternoon snack or an entire lunch or light evening meal as well. So enjoy this winter season by preparing this coriander lemon soup to keep your body warm. Below is the step by step method of preparation of this delicious and tangy coriander lemon soup.

Preparation Time : 10 mins  |  Cooking Time : 10 mins 

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Coriander leaves (finely chopped)	3 tbsp
Cabbage (finely chopped)	2 tbsp
Carrot (finely chopped)	2 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped)	2 tbsp
Garlic (finely chopped)	1 ½ tsp
Green chili (finely chopped)	1 ½ tsp
Vegetable stock	2 ¼ cup
Cornflour	1 ½ tsp
Lemon juice	¾ tbsp
Oil	1 tsp
Water	2 tbsp
Salt	As needed

Method :

1. In a wok, heat oil over medium heat.
2. Add chopped green chilies, garlic and saute a bit.
3. Next add chopped onion and saute till translucent.
4. Then add finely chopped carrots, cabbage and cook for 1 minute.
5. Next add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, vegetable stock and salt. Mix everything well and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix cornflour with water well and add to the pan. Keep stirring so that no lumps'll form.
7. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Finally add lemon juice, give a stir and turn off the heat.
9. Now take rest 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves in the serving soup bowl, pour the soup over and serve immediately !

Notes :

• Carrot can be omitted.
• Depending upon the desired soup consistency, amount of cornflour-water mixture varies. You can also omit the addition of cornflour.
• Normal water can be used instead of vegetable stock. If so, then you may add 1/2 tsp pepper powder along with salt.

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This Coriander Lemon Soup is contributed for 36 Healthy Wellthy Cuisines where the theme is 'Winter Soup'. Here are few more recipes contributed by our members as chicken chili bean soup, vietnamese noodle soup, raw papaya clear soup.

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Pudina Sabudana Khichdi | Mint Tapioca Pilaf

Khichdi / Khichri / Khechidi !!

After reading above line, you may either like it or make faces at it like how kids do 😉
Well, the khichdi is an Indian version of culinary comfort which is basically made from rice and lentils. The term Khichdi is derived from Sanskrit word 'khiccā' which means a dish of rice and legumes. In Indian culture, khichdi is considered to be one of the first solid food that babies feed. Khichdi is a wholesome, nutritious, healthiest food in India and yes, it is prepared in each and every house of Indian subcontinent.

Khichdi is the best option while feeling sick and needing some light food. Eating khichdi is very beneficial for overall health. This dish has various health benefits since it is a wholesome meal, easy to digest, gluten free as well. The dish khichdi is versatile one, but supposed to be cooked in a single simmering pot for each version. The dish is widely prepared in many Indian states like Odisha, Bengal, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat. The most common vegetables used in khichdi are potato, green peas, cauliflower etc. Khichdi is commonly served as it is or with any choice-able side dish like pickles, kadhi, papad etc.

In my home state Odisha, this dish is named as Khechidi. There are varieties of khechidi in Odisha like adahengu khechidi (ginger-asafoetida khichdi), muga dali khechudi (moong dal khichdi) etc. Adahengu khechidi is a popular dish in the Jagannath Temple,Puri as well. I will share another post regarding this adahengu khechidi soon on my blog. Well, this Monday the theme for Foodie Monday Blog Hop is decided as 'Khichdi'. So I have prepared sago or sabudana khichdi, but added a pudina or mint flavor to the plain sabudana khichdi. Do try must this twisted version of sabudana khichdi during fasting days.

Sabudana khichdi is usually prepared and eaten most during the fasting days like navratri or any festivals. This is so easy to prepare, but requires some practices to get the perfect texture of the sabudana pearls which results is non-sticky sabudana khichdi. So the key point is with the soaking procedure. Below in the method part, I have mentioned in details about the soaking of sabudana. In sabudana khichdi, the peanuts which are added is the source of protein where as sabudana or tapioca is the rich source of carbohydrate and thus this khichdi is great for a quick boost of energy mainly during fasting. 
By adding the pudina or mint flavor, the bland taste of the sabudana'll turn into lip smacking one. This pudina sabudana khichdi is lightly spiced. Also it can be an appetizing and filling brunch or snack. The spiciness is due to the addition of green chilies, if preferring for kids then just avoid the green chilies. So lets go in details.

Preparation Time : 15 mins | Soaking Time : 5 hrs | Cooking Time : 15 mins

Ingredients :        

Ingredients	Measurements
Tapioca pearl / sabudana (soaked)	1 cup
Potato	1 no.
Peanut	2 tbsp
Mint leaves (tightly packed)	½ cup
Ginger	1 inch
Green chili	2 no.
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Cumin seed	1 tsp
Salt / rock salt	As needed
Oil	1 tbsp
Lemon juice	½ tbsp

​
Method :

1. Wash sabudana under normal water 2-3 times or till water appears clear.
2. Then take sabudana in a wide bowl and add water up to just above the sabudana level.
3. Keep aside this bowl to soak sabudana at least for 5-6 hours or overnight.
4. Take mint leaves, green chilies, ginger in a blender and blend to a smooth paste without adding water.
5. Roast the peanuts in a pan and keep aside.
6. Now heat oil in pan over medium heat.
7. Add cumin seeds and allow to splutter.
8. Next add curry leaves, small potato cubes and turmeric powder.
9. Mix well, cover and cook over low-medium heat till potato cubes are done.
10. Meanwhile add mint paste, salt / rock salt to the sabudana bowl and mix everything till well incorporated.
11. Next add the sabudana mixture and roasted peanuts to the pan.
12. Mix everything well and allow to cook.
13. Keep stirring occasionally until the sabudanas are translucent.
14. Turn off heat, finally add lemon juice and stir gently.
15. Serve these pudina sabudana khichdi or mint tapioca pilaf warm as it is or with any flavored yogurt, pickles, kadhi or papad !

Notes :

• Always use wide bowl instead of deep bowl to soak sabudana.
• To avoid the stickiness of sabudana, the water level should be just 1/4 inch above the sabudana level for soaking.
• Green chilies (chopped) can be added directly while adding curry leaves instead of using for mint paste.

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