Pav Bhaji/Bombay Pav Bhaji

Last week we posted the preparation for Pav Bhaji Masala, an important ingredient for making Pav Bhaji at home.

Pav Bhaji is the second most favorite street food item behind Vada-Pav and also a delicious item to be included in those small budgeted treats and parties.

Usually on the streets, this is prepared on large iron griddle. In pursuit of such iron griddle we went to Pune iron market where we found a collection of such pans, griddles and other such paraphernalia. However, if you find procuring one such iron griddle a difficult task to undertake, then let this not deter you from making the recipe on any other pan that you have in your kitchen.

The preparation is fairly simple and involves assortment of vegetables that are boiled and mashed. A variety of veggies like carrots, green peas, potatoes, capsicum and cauliflowers can be used in the recipe. Veggies are diced into cubes and steamed in a pressure cooker till they become soft and mushy. It can then be mashed with a masher to form a thick mixture.

Being recipe that evolved on streets, it calls for generous usage of butter-both in the Bhaji and then also while roasting the pav. Being the indulgent that I am, I too have made a generous usage of butter in this recipe. However, if you are on diet or for any other reasons you can alter the quantity of butter in the recipe. Finally the soul of the recipe is pav bhaji masala. Though the packaged masalas are readily available in market, I would strongly recommend making one at home. I feel there is significant difference in taste and aroma of pav-bhaji made from homemade masala than the one that is purchased. You can find the recipe of Pav-Bhaji Masala here.

Let’s now see how Pav Bhaji is made.

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Pav Bhaji/Bombay Pav Bhaji

Prep time:  15 mins

Cook time:  40 mins

Total time:  55 mins

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 125 grams cauliflower florets
• 50 grams fresh or frozen green peas
• 50 grams carrot
• 75 grams capsicum
• 100 grams potatoes (all cut in cubes)
• 80 grams onions finely chopped
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• ¼th cup fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
• ¼th cup fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
• 200 grams tomatoes finely chopped
• 3 tsp red chili powder (less spicy)
• 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• ¼ th tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• Butter as required
• Salt to taste

Instructions

1. We will start with pressure cooking vegetables.Put carrot, potatoes, green peas, cauliflower. Put water in pressure cooker (just above the level of veggies),1 tsp salt.
2. Pressure cook until one whistle.Reserve the stock and mash the veggies .Veggies are evenly mashed.
3. We are making use of Iron griddle. You can use even non stick pan.Heat pan on medium flame.Put 2 tbsp oil,butter.
4. Add onion.Fry onions until it turns tender.As onions turn tender, add ginger-garlic paste.Fry for couple of mins.
5. We can add water in small quantity if required. Now add capsicum. Capsicum becomes soft in 4-5 mins.
6. Now add tomatoes. Add little salt and cook until tomatoes become mushy.After 5 mins of cooking, mash tomatoes with a masher.
7. Capsicum and tomatoes becomes mushy in about 5 mins.Now add turmeric powder, red chili powder,pav bhaji masala,butter and mix.Add little water.
8. After 5 mins of cooking, add cooked veggies and mix.Add water and mix.Adjust the consistency of pav bhaji.Add salt to taste, 1-2 tbsp butter and mix.
9. Remove bhaji from the pan.Leave some bhaji on pan and add butter.
10. Roast Pav. Prepare for serving.

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Click here to watch recipe video