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pav bhaji

Pav Bhaji Recipe | Easy Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji Recipe

Updated By Geeta
Pav Bhaji Recipe-Pav Bhaji is popular Indian street food, super delicious preparation of boiled and mashed vegetables, infused with spiced tomato mixture, topped with chopped onions and butter, served with butter toasted pav or buns.
5 from 5 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course, Snacks
Cuisine Indian Street Food
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker
  • Non-stick pan

Ingredients
  

For Boiling veggies for bhaji

  • 3 potatoes
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tomato
  • 1/2 cup cabbage
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2.5 cup water

For making bhaji

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tbsp butter(salted)
  • 2 onion
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 1.5 inch ginger
  • 1/2 capsicum
  • 200 ml tomato puree
  • 1 tsp kashmiri red chili powder
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp pav bhaji masala

For Toasting Pav

  • 12 pav
  • 4 tsp butter
  • 1 tsp pav bhaji masala
  • 4 tsp finely chopped coriander

For serving pav bhaji

  • 2 onion chopped
  • 6 lemon wedges
  • butter (optional)
  • 1 tsp coriander leaves

Instructions
 

Boiling veggies for bhaji

  • Firstly, wash, peel and cut 3 potatoes into pieces. Similarly peel and chop 1 carrot, 1 onion. Take 1/2 cup chopped cabbage and 1 chopped tomato as well.
  • Now, put all these veggies in the pressure cooker with 2.5 cups of water and 1 tsp salt. 
  • Pressure cook the veggies up to few whistles. I have cooked the vegetables for approximately 12-15 minutes on medium to high flame as we want the veggies to be completely cooked.
  • Once the pressure releases, open the lid and check the veggies for softness.
  • Further, start mashing the cooked vegetables with a potato masher. This process becomes easy if you have cooked the vegetables well.

Making bhaji Recipe

  • Take 2 chopped onions, 10 cloves of garlic, 1.5-inch ginger piece, and 1/2 chopped capsicum.
  • Furthermore, heat 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a non-stick pan. Add 2 chopped onions to it and saute till they become translucent. 
  • Now add chopped ginger, garlic in the pan You can use ginger garlic paste as well.
  • Keep sauteeing till it becomes light golden.
  • Next, add 1/2 finely chopped capsicum to it.
  • Saute for a few seconds and add 200 ml tomato puree to it. I am using store-bought tomato puree. Alternatively, you can use homemade tomato puree also.
  • Add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp pav bhaji masala powder, 1/2 tsp cumin powder,1 tsp garam masala powder, 1 tsp salt to it.
  • Keep cooking for few seconds, now the mixture is ready.
  • Further, add boiled and mashed vegetables to it.
  • Mix and cook on a slow flame for few minutes to infuse the flavors in mashed vegetables.
    After some time you will see that the vegetable mixture and onion tomato spice mixture have come together. Switch off the gas. your delectable bhaji is ready.

Toasting Pav

  • Heat 2 tsp butter in the pan or griddle. Keep the flame low, add 2 tsp finely chopped coriander and 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala to it. 
  • Roast pav in this buttery mixture from outside and from inside also by giving it a slit in the centre.
  • Turn the side and roast on another side. Continue roasting pav in batches with the same process.

Serving pav bhaji

  • Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander, put a dollop of butter (optional). Serve delicious bhaji with buttery pav and relish the pav bhaji with chopped onions and lemon wedges.

Notes

Tips for the Best Pav Bhaji Recipe-
  • I have used Kashmiri red chili powder and ready tomato puree to give the bhaji the red color which makes it look tempting and authentic. Street vendors use red color in bhaji. When you are making it at home, it is advisable to avoid using red color keeping in mind the health benefit.
  • Pav bhaji is one of those preparations in which you have the liberty to choose the vegetables of your choice. Make use of as many vegetables as you want or try different combinations of veggies each time you make it. However, in Mumbai style Street food pav bhaji, the use of potatoes is a must.
  • Pressure cook the veggies up to few whistles as it is easy to mash the well-cooked veggies and mashed veggies do combine well with the spiced tomato mixture.
  • I recommend using pav bhaji masala in the recipe, either ready masalas available in the market or homemade masala. Everest Pav Bhaji Masala powder is used in this recipe. However, you can use any other brand also.
  • Pav bhaji is a preferred dish for kids' birthday party, kitty party or any other small gathering also as it can be made in advance so it saves you from the last minute hassle.
  • Potatoes are the main ingredients of the recipe, they give a good base and taste to the bhaji. Chopped onions topping goes very well with pav bhaji so make sure you serve the pav bhaji along with chopped onions.
  • If you are a cheese lover then top the bhaji with grated cheese and enjoy your cheese version of pav bhaji.
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