![Pao bhaji Pao bhaji](https://www.lassiwithlavina.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Pao-bhaji.jpg)
If you’re a Mumbaikar cut adrift from all your soul-satisfying street foods, fret no more. Pasta Lane has come to Bleecker Street in New York, and at Aamchi Pao you can get all the spice and heat your heart desires. The tiny eatery is the creation of Nandini Mukherjee who earlier ran The Indian Bread Co, and Surabhi Sahni, the pastry chef of Devi.
![Aamchi Pao Aamchi Pao](https://www.lassiwithlavina.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Aamchi-Pao-199x300.jpg)
When the Mumbai street food they served at a party they had catered for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ was a big hit, they realized it was an idea whose time had come. The two brainstormed came up with Pao as the new street food for New York. They seem to have hit a home run with authentic taste and a great price, for Aamchi Pao was featured in TimeOut New York’s Best Cheap Eats.
![Surabhi Sahni and Nandini Mukherjee of Aamchi Pao Surabhi Sahni and Nandini Mukherjee](https://www.lassiwithlavina.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/Surabhi-Sahni-and-Nandini-Mukherjee-of-Aamchi-Pao-300x200.jpg)
Sahni, who is a consultant to Aamchi Pao, says, “Pao means bread in Portuguese and that’s the influence it’s from. Pao is so Indian and so much a part of Mumbai street food that it’s accepted really well. Yet if you think of it, a Pao is almost like a slider bun!”
Mukherjee says they collaborated on the menu to have authentic items like Vada Pao, Pao Bhaji and Keema Pao but also added innovations like Spinach Lentil Tikki Pao, Chapli Kebab Pao, and Shami Kebab Pao.
To create the Mumbai ambiance, Aamchi Pao also serves chaat, kati rolls and other street treats, as well as remembered tastes like Maggi Sweet n Chilli Sauce, Thumbs Up, Limca and Cutting Chai.
For both the chefs, it’s a mix of where they were and where they are now, creating tastes which everyone can relate to and love. Says Nandini Mukherjee: “Some people come every day and sit with a chai and order a Vada Pao – to them it feels so familiar, like a taste of home.”
Want to re-create the tastes of home at home when you can’t get out to Aamchi Pao? Nandini Mukherjee and Surabhi Sahni share the recipes with you to recreate Vada Pao, Pao bhajji and Chicken Tikka Pao at home. Happy cooking – and happy eating!
![Vada Pao Vada Pao](https://www.lassiwithlavina.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Vada-Pao-300x200.jpg)
Vada Pao
Yields: 8 portions
Vada Pao is an Indian version of a slider where the Pao bread is filled with a chickpea coated batter fried potato filling. Each vendor has his own secret recipe & people travel great distances to eat from their vendor of choice!
Ingredients:
- 8 pao buns **
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 teaspoons dry garlic chutney
- 8 potato vada
- 8 tablespoons green chutney *
Method:
-
- Slit the Pao buns in half. Heat the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place the Pao halves on the pan with the slit side facing down. Remove after it has slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Place the 8 bottom halves of the Pao on 8 separate plates. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon dry garlic chutney. Place 1 potato vada on each bottom half & slightly flatten the potato vada with your h&. Smear 1 tablespoon green chutney onto each top half. Place on top of the vada & serve.
NOTES:
* Indian masala powders & green chutney can be purchased from any Indian grocery store.
** Slider buns can be used in place of Pao.
Dry Garlic Chutney
Yields: 1/2 cup
- 1/3 cup garlic cloves, peeled
- 1/2 cup grated dried coconut
- 2 tablespoons red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon oil
- salt to taste
1. Heat the oil in a pan & sauté the garlic & coconut for 2 to 3 minutes over a medium flame.
2. Cool, combine all the ingredients in a blender & grind till it is a smooth paste. Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate & use as required.
Potato Vada
For the potato stuffing:
- 2 large sized potatoes, boiled & peeled
- 2 green chilies (1 green chili for less spice)
- 3 garlic cloves
- ¼” ginger, peeled
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 6 curry leaves, julienned
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
For the batter:
- 1 cup chickpea flour
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- salt to taste
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Vegetable oil for frying
- Grind the green chilies, garlic & ginger into a paste. Mash the boiled potatoes. Add in the green chilies-garlic-ginger paste, cilantro & salt to the potatoes. Mix well.
- Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a kadai or deep pan on high heat. When the oil is heated, add mustard seeds. As soon as they start popping, add the curry leaves & turmeric powder. Pour this on the potato mixture. Mix well.
- Divide the potato mixture into 8 portions, & shape into balls.
- Put the chickpea flour in a bowl & add the turmeric powder, chili powder & salt. Mix it together. Add water, ½ cup at a time, to make a thick batter. Remove the lumps. Add the baking soda & mix well.
- Heat some oil (enough to cover the balls) in a kadai or deep pan on high heat. Once the oil is smoking, reduce to medium heat. Dip the balls in the batter, & coat well. Deep fry till golden brown in color.
Green Chutney
- 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, chopped
- 1/4 large onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup yoghurt *
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- salt to taste
- Combine all ingredients in a blender & grind to a smooth paste.
- Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate & use as required.
NOTE:
* The yoghurt can be substituted by 4 tablespoons water for dairy free chutney.
Pao Bhaji
Yields: 8 portions
Pao Bhaji is a favorite snack of the large vegetarian population in Mumbai. The trick is to mash in the vegetables till you have a puree like texture. The Pao is then dunked in this mix & popped right into the mouth. The chunky puree complements the crispy Pao.
Ingredients:
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled & diced
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 green bell pepper, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 3 cups tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon Pao bhaji masala*
- ½ tablespoon garam masala powder*
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 pao buns **
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 2 lemons, each cut into 4 wedges
Method:
1. Boil the cauliflower & potatoes till tender. Drain & set aside.
2. Heat oil in a deep saucepan & saute the bell pepper. Add ginger-garlic paste & saute till translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add turmeric powder, chili powder & salt to taste. Mix well.
4. Add tomato puree, boiled potatoes & cauliflower, & mix well. Add pav-bhaji masala & garam masala powder. Stir for 5 minutes.
5. Add ½ cup water. Mix in & mash the potato & cauliflower with the back of the ladle till it is a smooth mixture. Cover with a lid when not stirring as the mixture tends to spurt up as it boils.
6. Simmer for 20 minutes till the mixture has the texture of a rough puree. Add peas & simmer for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons butter & mix in. Remove from heat.
7. Slit the Pao buns in half. Heat the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place the Pao halves on the pan with the slit side facing down. Remove after it has slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
8. Place 2 Pao halves on 8 separate plates.
9. Divide the vegetable mixture among the 8 plates. Top with chopped onion & cilantro. Place 1 wedge of lemon on each plate, & serve.
NOTES:
* Indian masala powders can be purchased from any Indian grocery store.
** Slider buns can be used in place of Pao.
Chicken Tikka Pao
Yields: 8 portions
‘Pao’ which is Portuguese for Bread is synonymous with Mumbai street food & is served with various fillings to form a meal on the go.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds chicken tikka
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 red onions, finely sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon chat masala powder *
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 8 pao buns **
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 tablespoons green chutney *
Method:
-
- Heat the oil in a saucepan on medium heat. Sauté the chicken tikka & onion, till the onion is translucent, about 2 minutes. Mix in the chat masala powder & lemon juice. Remove the saucepan from the fire. Divide the chicken tikka mixture into 8 portions.
- Slit the Pao buns in half. Heat the butter in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the butter has melted, place the Pao halves on the pan with the slit side facing down. Remove after it has slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Place the 8 bottom halves of the Pao on 8 separate plates. Heap 1 portion of the chicken tikka mixture on to each bottom half. Smear 1 tablespoon green chutney onto each top half. Place on top of the chicken tikka & serve.
NOTES:
* Indian masala powders & green chutney can be purchased from any Indian grocery store.
** Slider buns can be used in place of Pao.
Chicken Tikka
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup hung curd *
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Wash & cut chicken into 1” cubes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients & cover the container with plastic wrap. Refrigerate, & marinate for 1 hour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree. Line baking tray with aluminum foil & spread out the marinated chicken cubes.
- Baste with marinade & oil every 15 minutes. Cook till done, about 45 minutes.
NOTES:
* Hung Curd can be substituted by Greek yogurt.
Green Chutney
- 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup mint, chopped
- 1/4 large onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 cup yoghurt *
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoons sugar
- salt to taste
- Combine all ingredients in a blender & grind to a smooth paste.
- Store in an airtight container. Refrigerate & use as required.
NOTE:
* The yoghurt can be substituted by 4 tablespoons water for dairy free chutney.
Photos and recipes credit: Aamchi Pao
16 Comments
Nice to know about the eatery & my childhood friend.
Mukul, I have bad news for you and other readers – the restaurant has closed down. That’s not uncommon in a city of over 20,000 restaurants. Even as some old ones close, new ones are opening. The best you can do right now is try to recreate the vada pao recipes at home. Nandini Mukherjee, the owner of Aamchi Pao, had been generous enough to share these yummy recipes with us. Once I have more news from her, I will be able to update you on what’s next.
Hi Lavina:
This domain for the web site seems to have expired…you may want to alert the Owners. I could not get to their site.
Wonder what happened to the dueling Swordfish and Padmini Murthy? Haven’t heard from them lately!
Thank you Tony – I don’t know you but it’s such a great feeling to find readers actually connecting to what I write. And it does give me great pleasure to write these stories!
Swordfish O Swordfish’
You live in a dish,
Cause you do not know ,
That Surely Health,
Is one’s best wealth,
The dish Avial ,
Is not at all trivial ,
Your present verse
Makes one defintely averse( worse) !
PM
Padmini, are you trying by stealth
To convert Lavina to public health?
Are your postings gastronomic
A vehicle admittedly euphonic
To warn us of virus and germs
That ravage us on their terms?
Is not your preoccupation with avial
Intended to make that concern more trivial?
Doctor, please do insist you will post
On matters that concern us most!
SWORD FISH
WHY ARE YOU THINKING OF BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS???????
ARE YOU AN AUDREY HEPBURN FAN?
IT IS NOT THE END OF THE LINE FOR MY POEMS/ RHYMES MAYBE IT IS FOR YOU
YOUR VERSE(WORSE) WS AMUSING
PM
Padmini o Padmini!
Do you breakfast at Tiffany?
Padmini o Padmini!
Is your breakfast tiffiny?
And is that the reason for this bahana
In praise of the Bhavan Sarvana?
Is life really that khali
Now that you have finished your thali?
And please do not just say hanji
Till you have tried the bhaji
Pao corrupts, and resolutely
While absolute pao corrupts absolutely
I too have in moments weaker
Taken the 6 train to Bleecker
But for you the real true treat
Means getting off on 28th Street
Padmini o Padmini!
Is that the end of the line, le finis?
Ms. Murthy, what a delicious sonnet! And I guess Biryani and Melwani do rhyme.
You’ve made us very hungry. Are there any poets out there who’d want to take on Ms. Murthy and submit their own odes to their favorite Indian food?
Indian Cuisine
Idly,Wada, Dosa,
Chutney, Sambar and Samosa,
Rice, Roti and Nan,
Are surely in great deman(d)
Avial,Porial and Pongal,
Truly make you Royal,
Puri,Sag and Biryani,
Are loved by Melwani,
Payasam,Kheer and Lassi
Are beloved by Missi(y)
O Indian Food,
You are so Good!
By Padmini Murthy on 9/ 7/09
Hi I was at Sarvana Bhawan on Monday 7th and looking at the menu gave me inspiration to pen rather type this verse
Yes, Mukul – they have lots of non-veg dishes too and I’m sure they take plastic. Actually I should have given you the website as it has all the maps, details and menus that you would want to see. So here it is – http://www.aamchipao.com
Happy eating!
Yum…I can hardly wait to get there on my next trip to the Big Apple. Am I to understand that this place is also serving non-vegetarian dishes? Do they take plastic or cash only?
What kind of Menus do they have for kids who may not totally immerse themselves in Pao friendly dishes?
A map, with the location, phone number/address, its proximity to major Hotels in Manhattan would be helpful, also a posting of their Menu.
Thanks Lavina for bringing out these great articles and places of interest. I would never have thought of looking for such a place. All we look for are Indian Restaurants when traveling.
aha – trips to bleeker will now have a major attraction!
Thank you.
Mouth-watering, isn’t it? There are so many street treats we miss and it’s great to get them as we commute or walk to work.
yummo…I gotta head to the place….