Shree Datta Vada pav

So the plan was wake up at around seven and leave by seven-thirty and be on the hills in the next hour. But, plans rarely go like clockwork. So it was delayed by a couple of hours. And by the time the hills were in sight, we were all hungry [ even though we all had breakfast] and my cousin would not stop raving about this highway side snacks place - Shree Datta Snacks. The place on the Mumbai-Pune expressway is a detour but one you absolutely have to take.
The place is surrounded by major franchise chains - Subway, Mcdonalds, KFC - as well as other food stores. And yet, this place is full to the brim. Families laughing and dining together, friends chatting, kids running around even as others walk in - all of them munching on vada pav or digging into sabudana khichdi and misal pav. When my brother got the order, we all carried our plates to side stand and started digging into our vada pav.

 You know that's when I realized something. Nobody does it like the Maharasthrians. The batata vada before would be encased with thick, doughy flour and the bread or the pav is too dense and kills any flavor that you might have from the cutlet. And, a tart chutney that would make everything unbearable.

This order from this innocuous place was so, so different. My time in Pune was a revelation. When I had the first one - my taste buds found their new addiction. I mean I was having them every other day. And then when you have from this particular place, you know you have been changed. The mashed potato is spicy and is coated with crispy besan batter. And, there is something different about the bread here. It is soft and melt in the mouth. The dish is served with a spice powder and a chilly. And, once you have taken your first bite, you really fall into it - ravenous for more.
So, when you are on the road and want something quick and portable, stop at this watering hole and have yourself this snack with a hot cup of chai. It is totally worth it.

Location: Mumbai-Pune Expressway
What to try: Vada pav, Misal Pav, Sabudana khichdi
Rating: 5/5

The consummate hostess's favorite snack

This particular post is a tribute to a very close friend of mine who introduced me to the delights of Poha - Tulika Bathija. Poha is a Maharasthrian dish that can be eaten for breakfast or an afternoon snack and always served with chai. There were times in my early postgraduate days when on Sundays we would wake up to smells of tempered mustard, onions and chillies, the sound of kettle buzzing, the tinkle of spoons as they stirred sugar in the cups of tea[they were pink cups as I recall]. It was like the piper's call, one by one all of us would end up in her room and be handed heaping plates of almost golden, lemon-scented goodness.

Now that she has left the building and gone back home, it seems like a good enough time to write this post and remember those memories.
The dish is made with puffed rice as the main ingredient and finished with a dash of lemon. The base tempering is made with onions, chillies and turmeric and you really can't go wrong with them. Poha combines the ease of cooking with the concentration of the right taste so that it is the perfect food on the go.

Ingredients:
500 gm poha
1tbsp mustard seeds
3 medium onions sliced
4 green chillies slitted
2tbsp turmeric
1tbsp red chilli powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
a bunch of coriander leaves chopped
2tbsp vegetable oil

Method:
Wash the poha and keep it aside.
Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add the the chopped onions and chillies. Cook till the onions are softened. That will be for about 10 minutes.
Add turmeric, red chilli powder.
Fold in the poha and then season it with salt.
Finally when ready to serve add in the lemon juice and coriander leaves on it. Serve with hot cups of strong chai.