Recipes, Vegetarian

Pav Bhaaji

Being a Mumbaikar, Pav Bhaji is not just street food, it’s a feeling. Generous amount of butter, spicy bhaji and buttery masala pav. I guess it’s this unbeatable combination that makes this recipe special.

Ingredients

  • 4-5 Tbsp Butter or Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Onion (finely chopped)
  • 2 Tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 1/4 Cup Green Peas
  • 1/2 Cup Capsicum (diced)
  • 1/4 Cup Cauliflower (medium diced)
  • 1/2 Cup Beetroot (peeled and diced)
  • 1/4 Cup Carrot (peeled and diced)
  • 2 Medium Potatoes (peeled and diced)
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric
  • 1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
  • 3-4 Tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
  • 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
  • 1 Tsp Jeera (cumin seeds)
  • 1/2 Cup Chilli-Garlic Paste or 1 Tbsp Chilli Powder
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • Salt to Taste
  • Handful Coriander (chopped)
  • 1 ½ Cup Hot Water

Preparation

Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes

  1. To make a chilli-garlic paste, soak 8-10 Kashmiri chillies for 15 minutes (remove the upper part of chilly). Take 4-5 medium-sized garlic cloves. Put both chillies and garlic in a blender and make a paste.
  2. To make the bhaaji, add potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, beetroot and carrots in a pressure cooker. Add 1 cup of water and salt to taste. Give 2-3 whistles or until potatoes are boiled because rest vegetables will cook by the second whistle. Once done, let everything cool. Later mix and mash everything.
  3. In a pan, add 3 tablespoons of butter, jeera and onion. Cook until onions golden brown. Then add chilli-garlic paste or chilli powder. Cook until oil Now add capsicum, mashed vegetables, tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaaji masala. Mix everything and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Then again mix and mash it.
  4. Cook everything for 6-7 minutes more. Then add salt as per taste, coriander and hot water. Mix and Mash again!
  5. Add lemon juice, some coriander leaves and 2 tablespoons of butter. Mix again!
  6. For buttery and toasty pav, heat ½ tsp butter and add a pinch of chilli powder, pav bhaji masala and 1 teaspoon coriander leaves. Mix well. Slit a pav in centre and roast with spiced butter. Roast both sides of pav till they turn slightly warm.
  7. Serve it with the bhaji with pavs and chopped onions!

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Ruchita Mane

I've always lived with my Nana-Nani and my Nani makes amazing food so I barely cook. I recently graduated as a Software Engineer and before I could look for a job, the pandemic broke and we were all under lockdown. The search came to a halt and the anxiety about the future hit me hard. I had to get out of that feeling so I diverted my mind into exercising, yoga, meditation and even cooking. I started with helping my Nani by chopping vegetables, making tadkas, kneading soft doughs and in no time, I was rolling round chapatis. Cooking kept my mind in the present and made me patient and consistent. My Nani is glad that I don’t make a mess while cooking anymore, that gives her great joy. My Nanaji says that he doesn’t have to go out to a restaurant because I can cook almost everything. Now I don’t want to stop cooking. Thank you, Lockdown!