How to make authentic and healthy Pav Bhaji

Bring Chaupaati home with - Pav Bhaji

When you talk of Pav Bhaji, what is the first thought comes to your mind? For me it’s pure nostalgia, which takes me back to my hometown's chaupaati center, eating it at my favorite food stall and getting foodgasm. 

Pav Bhaji is a famous street food in India which is originated from Maharashtra, but now gracefully accepted by all parts of country. Pav in particular, is an integral part of Maharashtrian cuisine, and they have given so many enticing snacks with Pav. For instance, Vada Pav and Misal Pav are loved by all.

In layman terms, Pav Bhaji is a boiled and mashed veggies mix, later fried in butter along with some spices to enhance the taste and texture, served with butter roasted crispy soft buns - known in India as Pav Maska. While plating, generous amount of butter, lemon and chopped onion topped onto the Bhaji.

Vegetables needed - estimated quantities: 

• Cauliflower – 200 gm

• Cabbage – 200 gm

• Carrot – 200 gm / 2 medium size

• Capsicum – 150 gm / 1 big size

• Peas – 150 gm / 1 cup

• Potatoes – 2 medium size

Other ingredients:

• Salt – as per taste

• Pav bhaji masala – 2 tbsp

• Kashmiri red chili powder – 2 tsp

• Butter – 2 tbsp or more if you like

• Onion – 1 medium 

• Ginger – 2 inches

• Garlic – 8-10 cloves

• Green chilies – 3-4 or as per your spice level

• Tomato puree – from 4-5 tomatoes

Recipe:

All above veggies are must for this recipe, because bhaji won’t taste authentic if you miss out on any one of these. Though, you can add more veggies of your choice. I have seen people adding beans, eggplant, bottle guard, etc. and bhaji tastes almost the same, but I have never tried myself.

Thoroughly wash, peel & roughly cut all the veggies, and put in a pressure cooker with ¼ cup of water. Don’t add too much of water otherwise outcome will be slurry, because veggies also release the water while boiling. Add little salt as per your taste and Pav Bhaji masala (half quantity while boiling, rest we will add later while tempering). Cook for a whistle and then turn off the gas and let it cool down a bit, then mash it all as it should be.

Meanwhile, grind onion, ginger, garlic and green chili to prepare a fine paste. I prefer to prepare this at home and don’t use store bought ginger garlic paste. For better taste, I add little extra ginger garlic and green chilies.

Now, let us move to the final step of Bhaji making. Put a pan on medium flame and add the butter. Tempering should be done in butter and not with any oil, else you won’t get desired taste. Avoid adding much quantity of butter at this stage, anyway we are going to garnish the Bhaji while serving. Once butter is melted, add the prepared onion-ginger-garlic-chili paste, put a lid on the pan and simmer the flame. Keep stirring every 1-2 minutes until paste becomes golden brown. Now add tomato puree, keep the pan covered for couple of minutes, you may stir in between. Add remaining Pav Bhaji masala and if needed, add some more salt (we already added salt in veggies while boiling), also add Kashmiri red chili powder, which will give a prominent red color required for the recipe. One of my friends from Jammu has brought me a packet of local Kashmiri red chili powder which is traditionally used in their kitchen. Believe me, I never got such good color and taste from MDH, Everest, or any other brand. Mix everything well and cook for few more of minutes after adding masalas. Once everything is cooked well, add the mashed veggie mix and cook for a while, keep stirring for few more minutes and its done!!  

For plating - serve the bhaji in a bowl, put butter cube on top, few drops of lemon and garnish with some chopped fresh coriander leaves alongside the Pav Maska, lemon slice, some chopped onion, and voila!! you are all set. Let the scrumptious dish talk to your taste buds. Let me know if this recipe speaks to you in comment section. Thanks!!