Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji is an iconic dish from Mumbai and is popular throughout India. The buttery, spicy, lip-smacking Bhaji is made from mashed potatoes along with other vegetables and served with bread (Pav). If you’re a 90’s kid who grew up in Mumbai, you’d relate that most birthday parties back then definitely had Pav Bhaji on the menu.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For Bhaji
- 2 cups Potatoes (boiled and mashed)
- ½ cup Carrot (peeled, diced and boiled)
- 1 cup Cauliflower florets (boiled)
- 1 cup Green Peas (boiled)
- 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 cup Red Onions (finely chopped)
- ½ cup Green Bell Pepper (finely chopped)
- 2 cup Plum or Roma Tomatoes Purée
- ½ cup Cilantro (finely chopped)
- 3 tsp Salt (divided)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 & 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- 3 tsp Red chili powder (or as per preference)
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste (for color)
- 3 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
- 2 tsp Oil
- 6 tbsp Butter (or as per preference)
- Water (as required)
For seasoning the Pav in restaurant style:
- 4 Pav or Hamburger buns
- 1 tsp Butter (per pav/bun)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red Chili powder (for color)
- 1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala (for flavor)
Accompaniments with Bhaji:
- ½ onion diced or sliced
- 2 lemon wedges or slice
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro for garnishing
Instructions
Bhaji
- In a large non-stick pot, heat 2 tsp oil and 3 tbsp butter. Once the butter melts, add 1 and ½ tsp cumin seeds.
- As soon as the cumin seeds swell, add 4 cloves of minced garlic, 1 cup finely chopped red onion, ½ cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 1 tsp salt and mix everything well.
- Once the onions turn translucent, add 1 tsp turmeric powder ,3 tsp red chili powder (or as per preference), 3 tbsp tomato paste (for color) ,3 tbsp Pav Bhaji masala, 1 tbsp butter and give it a mix. Let the vegetables cook in the spices for a minute or so.
- To the vegetable mixture, now add 1 cup boiled green peas, 1 cup boiled cauliflower florets, ½ cup diced and boiled carrots, 2 cups of boiled and mashed potatoes, 1 tbsp butter and 1 tsp salt.
- With the help of a potato masher, mash all the veggies in the pot until it reaches your desired creamy texture.
- Now add 2 cups of tomato purée, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, ½ cup of finely chopped cilantro, 1 tbsp butter, give everything a mix and let the bhaji come to a boil.
- If you feel that the bhaji is too thick for your liking, add little water as required at this stage.
- Taste check for salt and spices. Garnish with some more cilantro leaves and bhaji is ready!
Pav
- Take a Pav or a hamburger bun and apply 1 tsp of butter on each pav.
- Sprinkle some Kashmiri red Chili powder (for color) and some Pav Bhaji Masala (for flavor) over the buns.
- Toast the buns from both sides on a non-stick pan till it becomes golden brown in color.
- Serve the hot Pav with the Bhaji along with some chopped onions and lemon wedges!