Paav Bhaaji

For me, Pav Bhaji is not just a dish — it’s a memory, a time capsule that takes me straight back to childhood.

I still remember when the Pav Bhaji trend first arrived in my town. I was in elementary school, and almost overnight it became everyone’s favorite food. The rich aroma, the buttery pav, the vibrant, spicy bhaji — it felt exciting and new, like a taste of a bigger world arriving in our quiet little city. My whole family fell in love with it instantly, especially me.

I never got to experience it the way many people did — standing at a bustling roadside stall, eating straight off a hot griddle. I always wanted to, but in the small town where I grew up, it wasn’t considered proper for women to eat at street-side vendors. It sounds like something from another era, yet it wasn’t that long ago — just a few decades. Writing about it now, I’m amazed at how much my town has changed since then. The transformation is exciting, but also a little unsettling.

Small towns have a magic of their own. Life moves slower, people are warmer, and relationships feel closer. Back then, I could walk down the street and run into dozens of familiar faces — neighbors, shopkeepers, school friends, distant relatives. Today, I might still see just as many people, but that easy sense of connection feels softer, almost faded. Progress brings many good things, but sometimes it quietly takes a few precious ones away too.

Since I couldn’t go to the stalls, my father would bring Pav Bhaji home as takeaway, and those evenings felt like celebrations. We would gather around, tearing into buttery pav, scooping up the spicy bhaji, savoring every bite. Eventually, my mother began recreating it at home using store-bought Pav Bhaji masala, and soon her version became just as beloved. Over time, she developed her own blend — simple, balanced, and deeply comforting. It’s the same masala I still use today, and every time I cook with it, it feels like bringing a piece of her kitchen into mine.

I’ve made Pav Bhaji countless times over the years, and it never loses its charm. My mother liked to add a variety of vegetables — cauliflower, carrots, peas — making it wholesome and hearty. I, however, prefer a simpler version with just potatoes and bell peppers. Somehow, that minimal approach brings me closer to the bold, buttery street-style flavor that first captured my heart.

The pav in this recipe are homemade too, and they’re surprisingly easy to make. If you follow the steps carefully, you’ll be rewarded with soft, pillowy buns that rival any bakery version. Of course, these buns are wonderful with many dishes, but paired with bhaji, they become something truly special.

For the best experience, slice the buns in half, spread a generous layer of butter, sprinkle a little Pav Bhaji masala, and toast them on a hot tava or pan until golden and fragrant. That simple step transforms them completely — crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and infused with buttery spice.

Some foods nourish the body. Others nourish the heart. For me, Pav Bhaji does both.

Click and make your own Paav at home

Homemade Buns / Paav – Haala’s Dastarkhaan

Homemade Buns / Paav

I still remember when the trend of Paav Bhaaji first reached my town. I was in elementary school, and I instantly fell in love with its bold, buttery flavors — just like everyone else in my family. The funny part was how suddenly it became everyone’s favorite dish, almost overnight, as if the whole town had collectively discovered something magical.

I never got to experience Paav Bhaaji at the bustling roadside stalls, though I secretly always wanted to. In the small town where I grew up, it simply wasn’t considered appropriate for women to stand and eat at street-side eateries back then. Writing about it now makes it feel like a story from another era, yet in reality, it was only a few decades ago. What amazes me most is how dramatically my town has changed since then — in ways that are both exciting and a little unsettling.

Small towns have a charm that’s hard to describe. Life moves slower, people are warmer, and there’s a comforting sense of familiarity everywhere. I remember walking down the street and meeting dozens of people I knew within a mile — neighbors, shopkeepers, friends, extended family. Today, I might still pass just as many people, but that effortless warmth and connection seem to have faded with time.

Coming back to Paav Bhaaji — since I couldn’t go to the stalls, my father would bring it home as takeaway, and those evenings felt special. We would gather around, tearing into buttery buns and savoring every spoonful of the spicy bhaji. Eventually, my mother began making it at home using store-bought masala, and before long, her version became a family favorite too. Over time, she developed her own blend, and the homemade Paav Bhaaji masala I use today is still based on her recipe — simple, flavorful, and filled with nostalgia.

I’ve made Paav Bhaaji many times over the years, and I enjoy it just as much every single time. My mother preferred adding a variety of vegetables like cauliflower and carrots, making her version hearty and wholesome. I, however, like to keep it simple with just potatoes and bell peppers. Somehow, this pared-down version brings me closer to the bold, street-style flavors that first captured my heart.

The paav in this recipe are homemade too, and they’re surprisingly easy to prepare. If you follow the steps carefully, you’ll end up with soft, pillowy buns that rival any bakery version. While these buns are delicious with many dishes, paired with bhaji they become truly irresistible.

For the perfect finishing touch, slice the buns in half, spread them generously with butter, sprinkle a little Paav Bhaaji masala, and toast them on a hot tava or pan until golden and fragrant. That simple step transforms them completely — crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, and infused with rich, buttery spice.

Some recipes feed the stomach, but others feed the soul. For me, Paav Bhaaji has always done both. ✨

Kolkata Chicken Roll

Chicken rolls have always been a favorite in our home. Those of you who follow my blog know how much I love wraps of all kinds — whether it’s a classic chicken roll, a burrito, or tacos. I think this love goes back to my mom. During one of her trips to Mumbai, she tasted Mutton Tikka Boti Rolls at a Parsi eatery and later recreated them at home. They were an instant hit with the entire family, and from that point on, rolls became a regular comfort food for us.

So when I came across pictures of the famous Kolkata Chicken Roll, I knew I had to try making it. The flavors sounded irresistible — bold, layered, and packed with personality. From everything I’ve read, it’s one of Kolkata’s most iconic street foods, loved for its rich taste and satisfying simplicity. Although I’ve never visited Kolkata, there’s something about its food culture that deeply attracts me. Some places just connect with you through their cuisine, even from afar.

Recipes like this are wonderfully fuss-free and incredibly practical. For those of us living far from our home country, food becomes a powerful way to stay connected to our roots. At the same time, dishes like these are perfect for kids — easy to eat, nutritious, and ideal for busy days or meals on the go.

I grew up loving my mom’s Tikka Boti Rolls. She initially made them with mutton, but later switched to chicken as well, and I adored both versions. I’ve always appreciated recipes that travel well — perfect for road trips, long drives, or those moments when hunger strikes and stopping isn’t an option. Not every journey allows for leisurely restaurant breaks, and sometimes you’re just stuck in traffic after a game or a long day. That’s when homemade rolls like these truly shine — convenient, filling, and deeply satisfying.

For this version, I marinated boneless chicken with salt, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, and yogurt. The spice blend includes dried fenugreek leaves, tandoori masala, red chili powder, cumin powder, and fennel powder, creating a beautifully aromatic base. The chicken can be marinated overnight for deeper flavor, but even a quick 30–45 minute marinade works well when time is short.

This recipe may not be an exact replica of the rolls you’d find on the streets of Kolkata, but after many trials and countless variations, this is the version I keep coming back to. One element I borrowed from my mom’s technique is spreading a thin layer of beaten egg onto the roti and cooking it before adding the filling. I’m not entirely sure how this differs from traditional Kolkata egg rolls, but I do know that it adds richness, texture, and a wonderful depth of flavor.

Ultimately, this recipe is a blend of influences — my mother’s cooking, flavors I’ve loved over the years, and my own experiments in the kitchen. The result is a chicken roll that feels both familiar and new, comforting yet exciting.

I hope you try it, enjoy it, and share it with your loved ones — just as my family and I do. 🌯✨

Pasta with Garlic Chicken and Mushroom

This is one of those recipes that feels fancy but comes together surprisingly quickly. I’ve never been a big fan of classic Alfredo sauce with pasta, and honestly, my boys weren’t huge lovers of heavy cheese sauces either. But when I came across a dish featuring chicken and mushrooms cooked with plenty of garlic, it immediately caught my attention. It sounded rich, aromatic, and just different enough to be worth trying in my own kitchen.

I personally love mushrooms, though the kids don’t share the same enthusiasm — so the dish had to be flavorful enough to win them over. The real game changer here is roasted garlic. Roasting garlic in the oven transforms it completely, mellowing the sharpness and bringing out a deep, slightly sweet, buttery flavor that elevates the entire dish.

To start, I roasted whole garlic cloves (skin on) drizzled with olive oil, salt, and pepper until they were soft and mashable. Meanwhile, I cooked the chicken pieces in a pan with a little oil, salt, and pepper until lightly golden and cooked through.

Using the same pan — because that’s where all the flavor lives — I added butter and a touch more oil, then squeezed in the soft roasted garlic. A splash of chicken broth followed, along with sliced mushrooms, allowing everything to simmer and absorb those rich flavors. Once it came to a gentle boil, I stirred in a little heavy cream and returned the cooked chicken to the pan. For an extra kick, I added red chili flakes and a pinch of white pepper, which gave the sauce a subtle warmth without overpowering it.

The result is a luscious, garlicky, lightly creamy dish that isn’t overly heavy yet feels indulgent enough for a special meal. Because it’s slightly saucy, it can absolutely be served on its own or even with rice. Personally, though, I think it shines brightest when paired with pasta. I served it over spaghetti with a side of warm garlic bread, and it felt like something straight out of a cozy Italian restaurant.

The biggest surprise? My boys — who usually avoid mushrooms — loved it. That alone makes this recipe a winner in my book.

It may look a little elaborate at first glance, but once you make it, you’ll realize how straightforward it actually is. After one try, you’ll be able to pull it together effortlessly. It’s the kind of dish that’s perfect for last-minute dinner plans, cozy family meals, or even surprise dinner dates. Elegant, comforting, and deeply flavorful — this one truly impresses everyone at the table. 🍝✨

Haala’s Fish Burger

We love Fish in all kind of different ways. We love it grilled, curry, fried, steamed, baked. Any which way, we love it. Since we cannot eat non halal food outside, it refrains us from eating Chicken or meat burgers outside and I ended up making my own in different styles. Yes! I make around 4-5 different kinds of Chicken and meat burgers at home. Now, you know even if you know how to cook 1000 different kinds of meals, you kids would still want something more and you have to super creative at times to satisfy those little minds.

So, after completing my creative journey on satisfying the “not so little” tummies with my chicken and meat burgers, the demand came on to Fish Burgers. My first question was that why would I make something that we can easily eat outside to which the reply was an explanation…simple one and harsh too… It’s a time to stay at home and we aren’t going out to eat either. And, of course that was enough to convince me into making Fish Burgers.

I used Tilapia Fish fillets. You can use any other fish fillet of your choice. Going for a fish which does not have a very overpowering flavor is always better when you marinate and roll it in flour. I personally feel that any fish like Salmon or Kingfish will only taste nice in a burger if you spice them up and fry them without rolling them in flour. It’s my personal outlook and you can always choose to differ. I mixed in the spices with the fillet, rolled them in a mix of flour and corn starch powder. Later pan fried them. Once cooked and crunchy from both sides. Spread some butter on both half of the butter and just heat them a little on a pan. Toasting the burger is optional, so you can always omit this step. You can also grill place them in between burger buns with Onion, Tomato, Lettuce, garlic mayo sauce and Hot sauce. Sprinkle some dry parmesan cheese powder.

These burgers don’t take too much time and very satisfying as well. You can also serve the fish fillet with the veggie only without the burger as a fish salad.

Indonesian Chicken Satay

Most South East Asian countries offer their version of Chicken Satay. Though I have never visited any of the countries [despite they are so close to India], from what I have watched and read, its a popular street food. This one is the Indonesian version and to me, is the easiest, you can get everything you need from the supermarket, simple to put together and simply delicious. The kebabs have a peanut sauce mixed in the marination and I find peanut butter to be an awesome substitute.

Satay Chicken is more known as Malaysian and Thai, though Indonesia is actually the country that came up with the dish. All these countries have their own recipes and versions of these wonderful dish. I will be sharing Malaysian Chicken satay as well. I am a big fan of Malaysian food but for some reason always find it easier to make the Indonesian version of Chicken Satay, since its easy and scrumptious and my kids love it.

When I was looking into the various chicken Satay recipes, I realized that even though they all had very close similarities, they all taste entirely different and are easily distinguishable. The Indonesian version is easier and kind of a little faster than the other.

The Peanut Sauce in the recipe has been substituted with Peanut butter and if you happen be someone who prefers going more authentic, you can always try getting some peanut sauce from the Asian market. The traditional Peanut sauce is made by grinding Peanuts, soy sauce, Hot peppers, baby onions and lemon together. The paste is usually thick and water is only used little at a time. if you plan to make yours at home, I suggest you to use peanuts without skin, and use dry Red chilies as an option for hot peppers. Lemon juice and little water as needed. Just using a blender to combine everything together.

Since I use Peanut butter, I add Red chili flakes, sugar, soy sauce and lemon juice separately. I feel marinating the chicken pieces together with all the spices and Peanut butter does an amazing job and makes the dish deliciously flavorful. I have made thise for school lunches, home lunches, small gathering and for pot luck. It has always been loved and appreciated and its a super amazing recipe to bookmark and pass on. Enjoy!!!

Chicken Rotisserie with Veggies

I have always loved Chicken Rotisserie. Looking at the chicken in those glass ovens with whole chicken turning around seem amazingly delicious and I always thought they taste this perfect only at restaurants, since I tried making it at home in the oven, but unfortunately, the oven does not give you the same result as the restaurant, because there is no way for you to rotate it and make it crispy and cook it evenly.

But, the problem grows more when you are a foodie and the crave to cook something is just too hard to let go. Your creativity needs that platform and you need rush out all the ideas and serve t on a platter. And little do people understand that similar to people getting upset when they aren’t able to take their favorite vacation, the home based or a restaurant based chefs happen to be the same. Till you are not authorized or left to decide and serve things as what you heart desires, you go a little crazy.

Since I was going nuts over cooking the Rotisserie, we came up with the idea of grilling the chicken. Same marination, little less oil, just sparingly brushing it around every few minutes, working hard with gas grill and charcoal grill, different times. Both were great, smoky flavor, taste of fresh cooked on fire, crunchy but not the Rotisserie, the flavor we were looking for was still very much missing. And, Finally Mr. Parveez bought me a Rotisserie maker. Can you imagine the excitement ? It was beyond what can be expressed in words.

Another thing, we aren’t a fan of Turkey. As much as we have always tried fitting ourselves in the traditional American “Thanksgiving” holiday, we still could not get ourselves to eat Turkey with ease. I always found the bird to be a little dry and it failed to absorb the flavors of the marinade that I used, hence it stayed bland and made gulping it down my throat even more difficult.

Finally with my Rotisserie maker, I was ready to roll. The chicken if marinated overnight or for at least 6-8 hours, makes the chicken absorb the flavors well. Make sure you make slits at the right places as shown in the pictures below. Also, the marinade needs to be rubbed in well, specially in the cuts and slits made. I always prefer using the whole chicken with skin. The fat from the skin adds a lot flavor to the chicken and it tastes incredibly delicious as well. The chicken should be tied from the legs and wings to be able to hold properly while being turned around. Mine was crispy and done in around an hour. This is must try if you are a Rotisserie fan like me. It surely does add a lot of glamour to your dinner table and is always a very fancy addition to the menu.

Shikari Chicken Rice

This is an invention by only hearing about the dish…Yeah I know I can go nuts when it comes down to trying to make a new dish. This happens to be one that I really planned out well and craved to make it.

Like I always say, every dish has a story. This one has one too. While speaking to a close friend about different Biryanis that we get at famous and not so famous eateries in India, I was told that a popular restaurant served something that was close to Biryani, but not Biryani. That really got my interest. Giving me further details, that its mildly flavored bed of Rice served under these awesomely juicy grilled chicken. I mean who wouldn’t want to act on this description and try and make it. It’s actually not just the details of the dish, but the way it was described and the fact that it topped the list of Chicken and Rice. I had not even seen the dish, yet I was head over heels in love with the dish and felt challenged to make it.

When you are aware of a dish, you tend to study it by searching about different chefs who have made it or by trying the dish out at different restaurants or even making the dish a couple of times to achieve the desired flavor or result. But when its a dish, you have never heard of until now, tried, seen or tasted, and you crave to cook it, you are definitely a crazy chef…LOLzzz. I think I fit the bill.

So, I am not aware of the Chicken served is with bones or without, but going according to my Biryani basics, I picked Chicken with Bones and marinated the chicken with spices and Yogurt for around 2-3 hours. Though my chicken came out delicious, I still recommend that a chicken is more flavorful if marinated overnight or for at least 6-8 hours, though in today’s time and age, things happen unplanned and we have a little time before we decide what we need to cook. For all those times, marinate, cover, and place the chicken in the refrigerator. Refrigeration helps blend the flavors faster and better. Once I was ready to cook them, I took them out of the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 400F or 180C. I placed them on the grill with a tray underneath to catch the dripping. The cooking time was around 25-30 minutes, with an extra 5 minutes of high heat grill, since I wanted them to look well done. If you want, you can cook them in the oven and do the latter process in a pan, or on naked fire. Any which way will give you great outcomes.

I made a gravy as well to spike up the layers of Rice. The gravy was made very similar to Biryani Yakhni shorba. For initial whole spices, I added fennel seeds along with cinnamon, cloves, green cardamom, and cumin seeds. I further fried the onions, taking half of it out for garnishing and using them while layering the Rice. That was followed by Ginger garlic paste and spice powders. Further adding tomatoes and Yogurt, combined with green chilies, mint leaves, and coriander leaves. I also added the marination left behind after the chicken is taken out, so it gets a little flavor from the chicken as well since we aren’t cooking the chicken in the gravy.

This is a lovely recipe for a weekend Brunch or to display your cooking skills to those uninvited guests, when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen. It’s a pretty quick fix to traditional Biryani and modern-day Chicken over Rice. One of my self invented and the best recipes ever…Enjoy!!!

Chicken Tikka Masala Curry

One dish that Indians hold steady fast too, specially when we are far from home is Chicken Tikka Masala. Be it Paneer Tikka masala or Chicken Tikka Masala, it never fails to satisfy our taste buds. And, I think that’s why they are a part of every party buffet.

This recipe is very close to the restaurant style Chciken Tikka masala that you’d find at restaurants and you can always substitute the chicken with paneer and follow the rest of the recipe as is to get the perfect restaurant dish.

This recipe is one of the Best Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe that you can cook with ease. The flavor is smoky and making this dish at home also gives you the benefit of eating clean and fresh. At present my reasons to try this dish is because its the quarantine period and as much as I enjoy cooking, I leave some dishes to the restaurant to enjoy some favorites outside the house. But since we hit the Covid-19 Quarantine period, I had to start cooking at home and with the high spiked taste buds of my kids, I got down to making an at home Chicken Tikka Masala curry.

Ingredients to make Chicken Tikka Masala Curry Recipe, we would require Yogurt, I prefer the thick greek yogurt but you can always use the regular yogurt and hang it for 30 minutes to an hour. The thick yogurt helps adding a lot of creaminess to the curry. Boneless Chicken thighs work best for the recipe. A lot of times I have been asked why I prefer Boneless thighs over Boneless chicken breast and my answer is simple, that chicken breast tends to get dry quickly and specially with gravy dishes, Chicken breast fails to absorb the juices from the gravy.

The chicken needs to be marinated in ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt, vegetable oil and tikka masala spice mix to marinate the chicken. You’d require onions, whole spices, tomatoes [chopped and pure’ed] , chilies, ginger garlic paste and the regular spices as red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and tikka masala powder, along with honey, kasuri methi and cream.

Chicken Kalmi Kebab

The origin of Kalmi Kebab is from the Mughal era, of course, I mean where else will Kebabs so delicious can come from except for the Mughals. The Mughals introduced Kebabs to the Indian cuisine and when their Kebab making skills were fused with the spices of India to give super delicious and scrumptious dishes. This dish now is very popular in Hyderabad and is very prodly an addition to the Nizam cuisine, which of course is greatly influenced from the Mughals.

Tangdi Kebab are everyone’s favorite. Tandoori kebabs are pretty popular amongst people and mostly when we think of Tangdi kebab, the first kebabs that come to mind are the red tandoori kebabs.

With the huge variety that Chicken offers in the “World of Kebabs”, these happen to be one of the easy ones and definitely something beginners can easily cook to impress. The kebabs need marination time, overnight is not needed, 3 hours are enough. If you are running out of time, marinate and wrap them up with cellophane or a tight lid and leave them in the freezer for 15 – 30 minutes. Not any longer or the chicken pieces would freeze.

The chicken can be cooked in the oven as well, but going through the traditional way for cooking Kalmi Kebab, I decided to pan fry them. With pan frying, the besan cooks properly adding crunch to the chicken, which otherwise in the oven to take longer. Again, you might prefer the oven and if you do, its 350F/180C for 20 minutes each side.

As I said before, the dish is great for beginners and super easy to make. If you are a great cook, this dish makes an excellent side dish to your party and the flavors show great efforts. Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did.