Pav-Bhaji

Pav bhaji recipe – The most popular Mumbai street food or fast food recipe. Mixed vegetables are cooked, mashed and spiced with special spice blend, served with soft, toasted buns.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Cuisine: Mumbai street food, Indian
Category: Snack

Ingredients:
A.)For pressure cooking vegetables:
1.)Potatoes – 2 small or 1 ½ cups roughly chopped
2.)Cauliflower – ½ cup, cut into big florets
3.)Green peas – ½ cup
4.)Water – ¾ cup

B)For bhaji:
1.)Butter – 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons
2.)Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
3.)Garlic paste or freshly grated – 1 tablespoon
4.)Onion – ¾ cup, finely chopped
5.)Salt – to taste
6.)Capsicum or green bell pepper – ½ cup, finely chopped
7.)Tomatoes – 2 ½ cups puree
8.)Pav bhaji masala – 1 ½ tablespoons
9.)Red chili powder – 1 & 1/2 tablespoon
10.)Water – 1 to 1 ½ cups
11.)Cilantro or coriander leaves – 2-3 tablespoons, finely chopped

C.)For tosting pav/buns:
1.)Ladi pav – 8-10
2.)Butter or butter spread – 1 tablespoon
3.)1 tsp red chilli powder
4.)1 tsp coriander or cilantro leaves finely chopped.

Method:
1) Take chopped potatoes, cauliflower and green peas in the pressure cooker.

2.) Cover the cooker with lid, put the weight on. Turn the heat on medium. Let it cook for 3-4 whistles. While it is cooking, chop other ingredients for bhaji. Let the pressure go down by itself. Then open the lid.

3.) Mash it using potato masher.

4.) Don’t make it like a puree, it should be little chunky. Keep it aside.

5.) Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in pan on medium heat.

6.) Once hot add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle a bit.

7.) Then add garlic paste, cook for a minute. Or till the raw smell of garlic goes away.

8.) Then add chopped onions & reserve some for garnish . Sprinkle some salt.

9.) Cook till onions are light brown in color.

10.) Add chopped capsicum and mix.

11.) Cook for 3-4 minutes. Capsicum will get soften.

12) Add  tomatoe puree .Now  mix well and cook.

13.) Add pav bhaji masala and red chili powder.

14.) Mix well and cook for a minute.

15.) Then add prepared mashed veggies & mix well.

16.) Add water &  mix well. Adjust the water quantity as per your liking consistency. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.

17) Add 1 tablespoon of butter.

18.) Cover the pan and let the butter  melt.

19.) Once melted, stir well so everything gets incorporated well. Again add last tablespoon of butter and repeat the same process. This makes really smooth and buttery pav bhaji .

20.) Turn off the stove. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves.

21.) Mix well and keep it covered.

22.)Now take a bowl add 2 tablespoon butter & sprinkle some red chilli powder,cilantro leaves & pav bhaji masala.

23.)Apply the masala over the paav & toast them until they turn golden brown .

24.)Now serve the paav & bhaji in a plate. Garnish the bhaji with some butter,cilantro leaves & chopped onion.