Pav Bhaji | Pao Bhaji | Pau Bhaji | Recipe Post | Mumbai Street Food | Cook Na Kaho

Come winters and my heart yearns for Pav Bhaji. Buttery hot Pav with the piping hot bhaji, all mashed to perfection. Actually if you think of it, Pav Bhaji is a great way to consume all the vegetables available in winter, and you’ll feel a little less guilty for indulging in this street snack. This also turns out to be a great tiffin/snack for kids. I’ll be listing my version of preparing this at home, that will give you the same taste. Come, let’s explore the recipe!

Ingredients:

• Pav – You can bake it at home or try store bought ones. I get mine from Big Basket.
• Butter – 3-4 tablespoons
• Refined Oil – 1 tablespoon
• Pav Bhaji Masala (Try Everest or Kohinoor). I prefer buying small sachets of Kohinoor so that the masala remains fresh – 2 tablespoon

Vegetables to be pressure cooked

• Potatoes – 3 medium sized
• Green Peas – Half Cup
• Beet – Half a cup diced
• Carrot – Half a cup diced
• Beans – Half a cup diced
• Cauliflower – Half a cup

For the Bhaji/Masala

• Tomato – 3 medium sized, ripe
• Ginger Garlic paste – One teaspoon
• Onion – 3 large chopped
• Corriander leaves – a bunch
• Cumin seeds/Zeera – One teaspoon
• Kashmiri lal mirch powder – One teaspoon
• Kasoori Methi – 1 teaspoon
• Green chillies – 2-3
• Capsicum – 1 Large
• Salt – to taste
• Water – 2 cups
• Lemon – 1 large

Let us pressure cook the vegetables first. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add some half a teaspoon of cumin seeds to it, followed by half a teaspoon of pav bhaji masala. Let it crackle. Now peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Add to the cooker. Add the remaining vegetables (all chopped and diced), such as green peas, beans, carrot, cauliflower and beet. Add a glass of water, and let it pressure cook until 3 whistles. Once pressure cooked, let it cool.

Next take a kadhai. Add some oil, followed by butter. Add half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a tablespoon of pav bhaji masala. Now add the onions and let it turn translucent. Next add capsicum and fry it until it softens. Add the tomato puree (Just run the tomatoes in a blender). Add in salt and kashmiri lal mirch powder. Let the tomatoes cook for a while. Next add in chopped green chilies, ginger garlic paste and let it cook. Add kasoori methi and coriander leaves.

Time to add the boiled vegetables. Add in the vegetables from the pressure cooker. Do not throw the water. Add the water little by little as per the consistency of the bhaji. The bhaji should not be too dry, we need to keep it runny. Keep mashing the vegetables with a masher. Once it comes to a boil and the consistency feels right, time to roast the pav. Finish it off by adding the juice of half a lemon.

Take a flat tawa, heat it well. Next add oil followed by butter. Add a pinch of pav bhaji masala followed by the bhaji that you just cooked. Once it sizzles, cut the pav into half and drop it on the tawa. Roast it well from both the sides. Serve hot with chopped onions, coriander, a  dollop of butter and a dash of fresh lemon squeezed into it.

Tips for street style pav bhaji that is lip-smacking:

• Always roast the pav in some bhaji + butter
• If you are using frozen peas, do not boil them. Add them when you are directly cooking the bhaji
• You may opt for store bought tomato puree but freshly blended tomatoes taste the best
• You may compromise on vegetables, but capsicum and coriander is an absolute MUST!
• Remember to add the pav bhaji masala to the oil. It really activates the store bought masala which might not be as fresh as freshly grinded ones 

This is a no-fail recipe that I have been trying for the past few weeks and I love how it tastes. This is probably one street food that I would happily make at home, instead of having it from restaurants. In case you recreate this, do try it and let me know. You can tag me on INSTAGRAM

Love, Sanandita.