As the name suggests " Pav bhaji" is a combination of a spicy curry of mixed vegetables cooked in a special blend of spices and loads of butter called 'bhaji', and it is served 'Pav ' which are small white buns, shallow fried in butter.
3-4medium potatoeswashed, peeled and roughly cut into cubes
2smallgreen bell peppers/ capsicumroughly cut into cubes
1cuppeasuse fresh or frozen
2-3inchbottle gourdwashed, peeled and roughly cut into cubes- optional
1smallcarrotwashed, peeled and roughly cut into cubes- optional
3-4clovesgarlic
little salt
1/2tspturmeric powder
1/2cupwater
Preparing tempering
2tbspbutteror ghee / preferred cooking oil
a pinch of asafoetida powder
1tbspginger garlic paste
1medium onionfinely chopped for tempering
3medium tomatoesfinely chopped
2-3green chilliesfinely chopped
saltdont add too much as there is salt in veggies, and you are using butter which has salt
1tspdeghi mirchi powder
1/2tspred chilli powder
2tbsppav bhaji masala
1cupwateror more/ less -to adjust the consistency of the bhaji
chopped coriander leaves
To serve
Pav/ white buns
butter as per your choice - to warm buns and to add to the bhaji
1/2tsppav bhaji masalaoptional
chopped coriander to garnish
chopped onionsto garnish
chopped green chilliesto garnish
Juice of fresh lime to add to bhaji
Instructions
Preparing Vegetables to cook bhaji-
To start with roughly cut all the vegetables, including potatoes . Add these to a pressure cooker with few garlic cloves, a little salt, turmeric and little water . Pressure cook for 1-2 whistles, and take these off heat.If you do not have a pressure cooker, you can cut the vegetables and boil these in a little water in a covered pan for 10 minutes , till all veggies are tender and cooked.Keep these aside to cool.
Once cooled, using a masher mash all the veggies till these form a rough paste ,kind of texture.But it should be mashed good enough that you cannot make out what veggies are in there, but make sure to not make a very fine paste out of it.Keep aside
Preparing Tempering
Heat butter in a pan, add a pinch of asafoetida powder. Add ginger garlic paste. Cook for 2-3 minutes till the raw aroma goes away. Add chopped onions and cook for a few minutes till these turn translucent.
Add tomato puree, and cook till the tomatoes are nicely cooked, and start leaving butter on the sides.Add chopped green chillies.
Add a little salt, red chilli powder, deghi mirchi powder, coriander powder, Pav bhaji masala. Mix together all the masalas, in the tempering.
Add mashed veggies. Use a masher to mix together the veggies with the tempering. .Check the consistency. It should be a little runny, and not too thick.
If required add water at this stage to adjust consistency.
Cover and let it cook for another 10 minutes.Once done check and adjust the seasoning. Add finely chopped coriander.
Preparing Pav and serving Pav bhaji
To serve, heat another spoon of butter/ ghee or any oil of your preference. Add a little chopped coriander in butter, a sprinkle of pav bhaji masala, and heat the buns in this butter on both the sides. Thats how these are usually served, or you can simply warm both sides of the buns in plain butter.
While serving ,Sprinkle chopped onions, fresh chopped coriander, chopped green chillies, a little butter and a dash of fresh lime juice on the hot bhaji, and serve with warm and crusty pav.
Keyword pav bhaji, recipe, vegetarian, food, street food, indian street food