Tawa Pulao

Published: May 28, 2014 · Modified: Nov 6, 2022 by Vaishali · This post may contain affiliate links · 26 Comments

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Total time: 25 minutes minutes

Tawa Pulao is a delicious Indian street food. It's a stir fry of rice and vegetables spiced with pav bhaji masala.

Tawa Pulao - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (1)

When Desi and Ilived in Mumbai -- or Bombay as those of us who left the city in those days still like to call it -- there were nights, after wrappingup the graveyard shift at the newspaper we both worked for, whenwe would set out with co-workers and friends to scour the city's streets for food.

Like New York City, Bombay never sleeps. Anywhere you are in the city at night, you can be guaranteed that it will never be quiet, the way things can sometimes be even duringthe day in some Washingtonneighborhoods. Cabbies, the homeless, people stuck after work without a way to get home after the last train chugged out of the station at 1 a.m., night owls, young men and women too busy having fun -- or just too bored --to go home.Bombayites ofevery stripe stalkthe city's streets each night, and their very presence creates a very basic need, for food.

Tawa Pulao - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2)

While 24-hour eateries and supermarkets are not easily foundin Bombay the way they are in New York or London -- or at least they weren't when I lived there -- there is no shortage of food. That's because come night, food carts (small, wooden cartson wheels that are pushed around manually) spring to life, creating little oases for the hungry and the bored and just about everyone in between. The food they sell is cheap, almost always delicious, and healthy--nutritionally--although perhaps not hygienic.

If you are a regular, you know where the best places to eat are. Back then, there was the guy who sold incredible kabobs on one of the streets around Gateway of India. And the man whosold the tastiest bhurji-pav outside Dadar Station. Or if you were lucky, it would be the month of Ramadan and Mohammad Ali Road would come alive after midnight with rows upon rows of food vendors selling everything from fresh breads andspicy curries tomalpuas and Vegan Phirni The vendors of Mohammad Ali Road sprung up decades ago to cater to Muslims looking to break their fast each night, but stayed on to satisfythe city's foodies who descend on this mecca of food in droves.

One of the vegetarian foods we'd often come across during our post-midnight bingeing tours in Bombay is Tawa Pulao, a delicious and rather simple Indian-style stir-fryof rice and vegetables.

Tawa pulao is named thus because the stir-frying -- a technique very similar to that used to make Vegetable Fried Rice -- is done on an enormous, slightly curved skillet called a Tawa or Tava. The vendor portions out the tawa for different foods, all being cooked at the same time. In one quarter isthe bhaji for pav-bhaji getting warmed up before being spooned onto plates, and right next to it are the yellow-gold patties for Ragda Pattice, staying warm until a customer comes calling for them. In the remaining half of the tawa, the vendor -- rapidly maneuvering a steel ladle that makes loud, metallic but rhythmic sounds as it scrapes against the tava -- is stir-frying some onions, tomatoes and green peppers forthe Tawa Pulao.

Itsmells amazing.

Tawa Pulao - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (3)

If you are newto Indian cooking, or just want to cook something that takes you intothe city's belly without actually going there, I'd recommend the Tawa Pulao. This is a strikingly easy recipe, because a lot of the flavor comes from an addition straight out of the packet: pav bhaji masala. You can make your own, but this is one powdered spice that I -- as much as making the spice mixes at home -- prefer to buy pre-madebecause when you make it at home you can't always get the flavor just as it should be. If you happen to have a large wok, the kind you'd use for a Chinese stir-fry, this is the time to breakit out of the cupboard.

Tawa Pulao, in Indian kitchens, often gets cooked with leftover rice, partly because there's no better way to eat leftover rice, but also because the slightly harder texture of leftover rice is perfect for the skillet and all that stir-frying. Too-soft, fresh rice would mush up. If you don't have leftover rice, or don't have time to make some beforehand for this dish, try spreading it out on a single layer on a cookie sheet, after the rice is cooked, to let the moisture evaporate. See this post on cooking fluffy basmati rice to learn more about cooking rice grains so they remain separate.

Enjoy!

Looking for more Mumbai street food recipes:

Vada Pav
Pav Bhaji
Ragda Pattice
Bread Pakora
Vegetable Frankie

Tawa Pulao is a delicious Indian-style stir-fry of rice and vegetables from the streets of Mumbai. The rice is spiced with pav bhaji masala and packed with veggies.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, Indian Street Food

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

▢ 3 cups cooked basmati rice
▢ 1 onion (minced)
▢ 1 inch ginger (grated)
▢ 2 tomatoes (finely chopped, or 1 cup tomato puree)
▢ 1 green bell pepper (finely chopped)
▢ 2 potatoes (boiled and cubed)
▢ 1 cup green peas
▢ 1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala
▢ ¼ teaspoon turmeric
▢ ½ teaspoon cayenne
▢ Salt to taste
▢ 2 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
▢ Cilantro or spring onions, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

Heat the oil in the wok.
Add the onions and, working constantly over the highest heat setting on your burner, stir-fry them until they start to just change color.
Add the ginger and green peppers and stir-fry for another couple of minutes or until the bell peppers begin to soften.
Add the cayenne, turmeric, and pav bhaji masala and stir well. Add the chopped tomatoes or tomato puree and cook, stirring frequently, about two minutes. Add the green peas and potatoes and stir-fry for a minute.
Add the rice and stir-fry, mixing everything thoroughly, another two to three minutes.
Turn off heat, add the lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves or spring onions, or both.
Serve piping hot.

Nutrition Facts

Tawa Pulao

Amount per Serving

Calories

308

% Daily Value*

Fat

Saturated Fat

About Vaishali

Hi! I'm Vaishali, a journalist turned food blogger. At Holy Cow Vegan I share easy, tasty recipes made with clean, wholesome ingredients that the entire family can enjoy.

Tawa Pulao - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2024)

Looking for more Mumbai street food recipes:

Tawa Pulao

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

About Vaishali

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a comment:

References

Tawa Pulao - Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes (2024)

Looking for more Mumbai street food recipes:

Tawa Pulao

IngredientsUS Customary - Metric

Instructions

About Vaishali

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a comment:

References

Ingredients
US Customary - Metric