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Tawa pulao/ Tava pulao: Mumbai street food: Rice cooked with spices and vegetables

Published: · Modified: ·by .This post may contain affiliate links ·

Like any Asian country, India has a large rice eating population, and even though one can see several rice based dishes as street food, rarely will you find rice dish as main one. The one exception is the tawa pulao, rice with spices and vegetables. This is one of the famous street foods from Mumbai, the economic capital of India. Mumbai is famous for its various street foods such as Pav bhaji, Vada pav, Bhel puri, Pani puri etc. This fiery rice is easily made with cooked rice and vegetables with unique spicy Pav bhaji masala. 
My Mumbai connection is that it the home of my hubby, even though we both are from southern India Kerala, he   grew up there, he is more a Mumbaiker ( just like a term for New Yorker)  than Keralite.  I was not able to taste the original tawa pulao as my stay in Mumbai is always limited, last time climate was against my wishes of tasting this wonderful street food as it was continuously raining heavily. So decide to try at home. I made this sometime ago, and my hubby liked it and told me it tastes great. So I make this more often say once in a month. It is a great one pot meal. 
As a part of food buzz taste maker program I got a  free coupon for Green Gaint valley fresh steamers (vegetable blend). I bought a Garden vegetable medley with that coupon.

 
Garden vegetable medley has roasted potato, snap peas and red bell pepper along with garden herbs. It may be tasty by itself, however I wanted to incorporate this mix in a dish.  First I thought of making a pasta with it, however dropped that idea as I needed to make lunch yesterday. So I made tawa pulao, with garden vegetable medley and added green peas, carrot, tomato, ginger garlic paste and onions and spiced it with pav bhaji masala , green chili, cumin seeds and red chili powder. I used matta rice (parboiled red rice) which is common in Kerala, instead of basmati rice which commonly used.  Normally they make it in a large flat girdle similar to Spanish paella pan called tawa. I don’t have it in my hand so I tried with my own skillet. It came spicy, tasty and I had it with yogurt and potato chips. 

Print recipe from here
What you need
Cumin seeds: ½ teaspoon
Frozen peas: ¼ cup
Onion chopped: ½ cup
Green chili: 1 no
Carrot: 1 no
Tomato: 1 no
Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon
Pav bhaji masala: ¾ tablespoon (I used Everest Brand)
Red chili powder: ¼ teaspoon
Lemon/lime juice: ½ of one lime
Ginger garlic paste: ½ tablespoon
Green Giant valley fresh steamers: 2 cup ( I used Garden vegetable Medley)
Salt: 1 teaspoon or to taste
Water: ¼ cup
Cooked rice: 3 cup ( I used rose matta rice)
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Cilantro/ coriander leaves: 2 tablespoon ( I didn’t used as I am out of it)

How I made
In a skillet heat olive oil and add cumin seeds, when it starts to splutter add onion and green chili let is fry for 6 minutes or until they become translucent. To this add ginger garlic past and fry for another minute, then add carrot, tomato and Green giant valley fresh steamers (Garden vegetable Medley) and to this add turmeric powder, salt and water cook for 5 minutes. 
To this add green peas and cook for another 2 minutes. Then add pav bhaji masala and red chili powder and cook until entire water is dries up or about 6 minutes. To this add cooked rice and cook for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and add curry leaves and lime juice mix everything to incorporate well. 

Enjoy with yogurt and chips

More closer look

Preparation time: 21 minutes + cooking time of rice
Serving: 4 serving
Verdict: Spicy, yummy
Will you make it again: Yes I will

Opinion expressed  here is solely mine. Thanks to food buzz and Green Giant for giving me this opportunity.
I am linking this to Hearth and  Soul blog hop: 74  hosted here.

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  1. Joe Lewis says

    Beautiful and tempting tawa pulao…makes your stomach grumble instantly!! - Visit My Site

    Reply

  2. Kitchen Gypsies says

    Looks super tasty Swathi. Happy Thanksgiving 🙂

    Reply

  3. Penniless Parenting says

    Wow, this looks really yummy. I'd love to make it, only I don't have Pav bhaji masala... but I think I'll google it to see if I can mix it myself. Thanks for sharing with the Hearth and soul, and of course, for hosting it.

    Reply

  4. Elisabeth says

    Swathi-your rice dish really does look so yummy!
    Love the combination with the frozen pack of vegetable medley!

    Reply

  5. Rosita Vargas says

    SOLO LO HE PROBADO DOS VECES Y ME ENCANTÓ,ES DELICIOSO EL PULAO,ABRAZOS HUGS,HUGS,.

    Reply

  6. The 21st Century Housewife© says

    What a wonderful dish - I love the spices you have used and the veggies look fantastic. Thank you for sharing this post with the Hearth and Soul hop.

    Reply

  7. Richa says

    tawa pulao is my go to comfort food on days i dont want to make an elaborate meal. yours looks perfect!

    Reply

  8. El Oteador de los Mercados says

    How wonderful rice. I like your drawing with these spices. Over here it's hard to find them all.

    Reply

  9. Rebecca from Chow and Chatter says

    this looks great love one pot meals

    Reply

  10. Asmita says

    This really sounds like an easy and tasty recipe. I like that you have added pav bhaji masala to it.

    Reply

  11. MaryMoh says

    I love the look of your rice dish. Just what I would love for lunch. The colour and spices are just so enticing...mmm. Thanks very much for sharing. MaryMoh at http://www.keeplearningkeepsmiling.com

    Reply

  12. Alea Milham says

    This dish looks very tasty! I am adding it to my list of recipes to try. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop.

    Reply

  13. Dulce Dough says

    I love rice dishes like this! Looks like the garden vegetables were perfect in it too!

    Reply

  14. SouthIndianHome says

    looks delicious and inviting

    Reply

  15. Usha says

    Looks delicious !! This is one of my favorites and it is a great one dish meal 🙂

    Reply

  16. Pushpa says

    Flavorful and delicious rice.

    Reply

  17. Sushma Mallya says

    I love tawa pulao,they surely are so nice to have with all those beautiful flavours in them.....Looks delicious!

    Reply

  18. El Oteador de los Mercados says

    That rice with green & Red chili masala pav blaji must be very tasty.

    Reply

  19. Joanne says

    I love how you turned those frozen veggies into the perfect home-cooked meal!

    Reply

  20. Shanavi says

    I love this pulao, very healthy with all those veggie's u've added

    Reply

  22. Candace says

    This looks absolutely fantastic! It is such a beautiful and colorful dish.

    Reply

  23. divya says

    looks really tempting and yummy...

    Reply

  24. Marus says

    A wonserful rice!. It looks delicius.
    Good day

    Reply

  25. tigerfish says

    I'm drooling over your spicy rice...yum!

    Reply

  26. Tina says

    Delicious rice..Nice clicks too...

    Reply

  27. Malli says

    Swathi,
    That is incredibly yummy street food.... I am also a Mumbaiker Keralite or close to Mumbai(pune). So Bhel puri,Paani puri, tava rice and others are close to my heart!!

    Reply

  28. Az says

    It does have a look of street food.. totally love it..

    Reply

  29. Hamaree Rasoi says

    Very colorful and yummy looking street food. Can I come over to have a taste of it?

    Deepa
    Hamaree Rasoi

    Reply

  30. Sensible Vegetarian says

    Super delicious and spicy one Swathi, looks great.

    Reply

  31. Suja says

    Spicy and flavorful rice..adipoli aayitundu..

    Reply

  32. Renata says

    One of my favorite dishes here in Korea is their fried rice, which looks very much like this one, though the flavors are very different. I'm sure I'm going to love this one too!

    Reply

  34. Nisa Homey says

    I haven't yet tasted this wonderful street food....looks yum!!

    Reply

  36. Priya says

    Super inviting,flavourful tawa pulao,just love it.

    Reply

  37. Happy Cook / Finla says

    Love rice like this and this looks so so yumm.

    Reply

  38. Aruna Manikandan says

    looks delicious dear 🙂

    Reply

  39. Raji says

    Very flavourful rice..looks great.

    Reply

  40. Nandini says

    Delicious and healthy rice! Looks colorful!!

    Reply

  41. Kaveri says

    A wonderful recipe...Looks really delicious...I'm a big fan of the Mumbai Street foods.

    Reply

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