Pav Bhaji Recipe

Table of Contents 

About Pav Bhaji

One of the most famous street food Pav bhaji is a centre of attraction among all age groups of people. The aroma of the bhaji is so tempting that it will surely draw you towards itself. Originated from Mumbai, Pav bhaji became one of the most popular dinner option amongst the textile workers. In marathi Pav means bread rolls and bhaji means vegetables. This tempting Pav bhaji recipe is made by mixing up yummy veggies and seasoning it with aromatic masala and is served along with super soft bread rolls tossed in butter. It is served along with onion slices and lemon to add that extra crunch and tanginess to it.

The street side pav bhaji has a lot of potatoes in it making it quite fatty , and in order to enhance the colour of the bhaji , a lot of food colours are added to it due to which it becomes very unhealthy for consumption. In this recipe I have opted for more green vegetables as compared to potatoes to give the bhaji a healthy twist. The secret behind this mouthwatering recipe is the pav bhaji masala we add to it. It’s highly aromatic and is easily available in the market. There are a number of brands which offers this masala at an affordable price. Please do let me know which brand do you prefer and why, in the comments section below….

 Ingredients for pav bhaji

1) Carrot- 4 (medium sized)
2) beans – 1 cup (Roughly diced)
3) potatoes- 3 (medium sized)
4) capsicum- 2 (medium sized)
5) tomatoes -4 (medium sized)
6) onions- 2 (medium sized, finely chopped)
7) green chillies- 3 to 4 or as per taste (finely chopped)
7) ginger- 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
8) garlic- 8 to 10 cloves
9) salt-as per taste
10) red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon (optional)
11) pav bhaji masala- 1 tablespoon
12) turmeric powder- 1/4 tablespoon
12) butter- 4 tablespoon
13) Refined oil or olive oil- 1 tablespoon
14) coriander for garnishing
15) lemon- for serving

 Step by step recipe (with images)

1) Roughly dice 4 carrots, 1 cup of beans, 3 medium sized potatoes, 1 capsicum and 2 tomatoes into small peices.

2) Now add all the above veggies in the pressure cooker along with green chillies and add 1 cup of water to it, add a table spoon of salt to it.

3)Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles on a medium flame.

4)Release the extra pressure and open the lid.

5)The veggies will become super soft. Mash them well with the help of a masher and make sure it turns into a paste.

6)Finely chop 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 1 capsicum and keep aside. Crush the garlic and ginger into small peices.

7)Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with 4 tablespoon of butter.

8)Add the crushed ginger and garlic to it. Saute them well until they turn golden and aromatic.

9)Now add the finely chopped onions to it and saute it well until it turns golden brown

10)Add the chopped capsicum and cook them well for 2 minutes.

11)Now add the chopped tomatoes to it and saute them well until the tomato turns mushy and oil seperates.

12)Add 1/4 tablespoon of turmeric powder.

13)Add 1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder. You can totally skip it if you avoid red chillies, but it will effect the colour of the bhaji.

14)Add 1 tablespoon of pav bhaji masala and mix them well.

15)Now add the mashed veggies to it and stir well.

16)Add 1/2 glass of water to it. Cook the bhaji for 2 minutes until you get a creamy consistency.Finally add salt as per taste.

17)Add freshly chopped coriander and half tablespoon of lemon juice to it. Your delicious bhaji is ready to be served along with pav.

 Recipe for pav

1) Heat the pan with 2 tablespoon of oil.

2) slice the pav horizontally into two pieces.

3) place the sliced pav on the pan and heat it for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns crispy.

4) Do the same on the other side.

Garnish the bhaji with some onion slices, freshly chopped coriander and topped butter and serve it along with the tossed pav and lemon slices. Tastes best when served hot.

  Tips and Tricks

1) If you want to give your bhaji a more reddish colour, you can add 1 tablespoon of red chilli powder to it instead of 1/2 tablespoon. But make sure you cut down some green chilles as it will turn out to be too spicy.
2) Properly mash the boiled vegetables into a paste like consistently. Rough peices of veggies in the bhaji makes the consistency uneven.

 Healthier version

1) If you want to make your bhaji more healthy, try adding some bottle gourd to it and skip out half of the potatoes.
2) Avoid red chilli powder if you think it’s unhealthy.
3) You can have the bhaji along with chatpatis or brown bread if you want to skip the pav as it is made up of refined flour.

Recipe card

Pav Bhaji

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

  

• Carrot- 4 (medium sized)
• beans – 1 cup (Roughly diced)
• potatoes- 3 (medium sized)
• capsicum- 2 (medium sized)
• tomatoes -4 (medium sized)
• onions- 2 (medium sized, finely chopped)
• green chillies- 3 to 4 or as per taste (finely chopped)
• ginger- 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)
•  garlic- 8 to 10 cloves
• salt-as per taste
•  red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• pav bhaji masala- 1 tablespoon
• turmeric powder- 1/4 tablespoon
• butter- 4 tablespoon
• Refined oil or olive oil- 1 tablespoon
• coriander for garnishing
• lemon- for serving

Instructions

 

Recipe for bhaji:

•  Roughly dice 4 carrots, 1 cup of beans, 3 medium sized potatoes, 1 capsicum and 2 tomatoes into small peices.
• Now add all the above veggies in the pressure cooker along with green chillies and add 1 cup of water to it, add a table spoon of salt to it.
• Pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles on a medium flame.
• Release the extra pressure and open the lid.
• The veggies will become super soft. Mash them well with the help of a masher and make sure it turns into a paste
• Finely chop 2 onions, 2 tomatoes, 1 capsicum and keep aside. Crush the garlic and ginger into small peices.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil along with 4 tablespoon of butter.
• Add the crushed ginger and garlic to it. Saute them well until they turn golden and aromatic.
• Now add the finely chopped onions to it and saute it well until it turns golden brown
• Now add the finely chopped onions to it and saute it well until it turns golden brown
• Now add the chopped tomatoes to it and saute them well until the tomato turns mushy and oil seperates.
• Add 1/4 tablespoon of turmeric powder.
• Add 1/2 tablespoon of chilli powder. You can totally skip it if you avoid red chillies, but it will effect the colour of the bhaji.
• Add 1 tablespoon of pav bhaji masala and mix them well.
• Now add the mashed veggies to it and stir well.
• Add 1/2 glass of water to it. Cook the bhaji for 2 minutes until you get a creamy consistency.Finally add salt as per taste.
• Add freshly chopped coriander and half tablespoon of lemon juice to it. Your delicious bhaji is ready to be served along with pav.

Recipe for pav:

• Heat the pan with 2 tablespoon of oil.
•  slice the pav horizontally into two pieces.
• place the sliced pav on the pan and heat it for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns crispy.
• Do the same on the other side.
• Garnish the bhaji with some onion slices, freshly chopped coriander and topped butter and serve it along with the tossed pav and lemon slices. Tastes best when served hot.