Pav Bhaji recipe - with step by step photos

Pav Bhaji is the most popular Mumbai street food or fast food. This is a spicy curry made of mixed boiled vegetable blend with special pav bhaji masala served with pav / bun / roll. This is spicy, rich, smooth yet chunky curry.

Ingredients:

2 medium Potatoes
1/2 cup Cauliflower
1/2 cup carrot
1/4 cup Peas ( fresh or frozen)
1 Onion
2 medium Tomato
1/2 cup capsicum / bell pepper
1/2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
1-1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder ( Kashmiri)
2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala ( store bought)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon oil
salt to taste
water
Pav / Buns

Method:

• In a pressure cooker add washed cauliflower, carrot and peeled and chopped potato for 2-3 whistle. Can also boil in a saucepan, add some water and cut the veggies into cube size and boil until fully cooked. Drain the water and keep aside for later use.
• Heat some butter / oil in a pan.
• Add chopped onions and salt,saute until it is nice translucent.
• Then add finely chopped bell peppers, saute for few seconds and then add ginger and garlic paste.Mix everything cook for few seconds.
• Next add finely chopped tomatoes and Peas. If you are using fresh Peas can boil it with rest of the veggies. I am using frozen Peas here. Close the pan with a lid and let it cook.
• Once tomatoes are all nicely cooked add the boiled vegetables.
• Next mash all the vegetables with the masher or back of the spatula. You can mash cooked veggies into the texture you prefer - little chunky or smooth with no chunks of veggies.
• In another pan add some oil and roast the dry spices kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala on low flame ( this step is optional) or you can directly add the spices into the veggie mixture.
• Mix everything well so that all the veggies get coated with the spices and cook for few minutes on low flame.
• Then add water and cook for 5-6 minutes and this stage check for salt and add more if required.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
• Next take the pav / buns. Cut them halves.
• Place a tava on medium flame, add some butter and place pav / buns on the tava and roast them until light golden brown spots appear. Do this on both side.
• In a serving plate place some pav bhaji, roasted pav / buns with some finely chopped onions and lemon wedge. Can also add some butter on top of pav bhaji.

Pictorial:

In a pressure cooker add washed cauliflower, carrot and chopped potato for 2-3 whistle. Can also boil in a saucepan, add some water and cut the veggies into cube size and boil until fully cooked. Drain out the water and restrain for later use.

                                                   Heat some butter / oil in a pan.

                          Add chopped onions and salt,saute until it is nice translucent.

Then add finely chopped bell peppers saute for few seconds and then add ginger and garlic paste.

Next add finely chopped tomatoes and Peas. If you are using fresh Peas can boil it with rest of the veggies. I am using frozen Peas.

                       Once tomatoes are all nicely cooked add the boiled vegetables.

Mash all the vegetables with the masher or back of the spatula. You can mash cooked veggies into the texture you prefer - little chunky or smooth with no chunks of veggies.

                                           Texture should look some what like this.

In another pan add some oil and roast the dry spices kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala on low flame ( this step is optional) or you can directly add the spices into the veggie mixture.

                                                  Add the roasted spices into the mixture.

                                   Mix well and cook for few minutes on low flame.

Add water and cook for 5-6 minutes. Check for salt at this stage and add more if required.

                         Turn off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Bhaji is ready for serving. For Pav / Buns cut them into halves. Heat tava on medium flame. Add teaspoon of butter and place buns and shallow fry them until golden brown spots appear. Place them on a plate with some finely chopped onion and lemon wedge.

Notes:

1. Use kashmiri chilli powder instead of regular chilli powder as it gives nice colour.
2. You can use any veggies of your choice like french beans, sweet corn, beetroot etc.