Pav Bhaji

Also known as spicy vegetable curry served with soft dinner rolls.

I will be showing you how to make this buttery and flavorful Mumbai street food. Pav bhaji is one of those dishes where young or old, it is just as enjoyable! In Mumbai, it is so popular that even a huge pot of bhaji is sold out within 15 minutes! And now, you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home. Pav is sold in most Indian grocery stores. If not available, you can always just use dinner rolls or burger buns. Generally, food coloring is used to bring the bright red color of the bhaji. However, you can use beets as a substitute for this, as it doesn't affect the flavor.

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Serves 6-8 people.

Ingredients:

• 3 large white potatoes

• 2 1/2 large onions, finely chopped (save the half for serving)

• 3 medium tomatoes

• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup green peas

• 1 cup mixed vegetables (I used cauliflower, carrot, and beet)

• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 1 tsp red chili powder

• 4 green chilis, minced

• 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala

• 2 tsp kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves)

• 1 lemon, halved

• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 stick of butter

• 1 tbsp oil

• salt to taste

• 8 pavs, halved

Method:

1. Wash potatoes, dice into cubes, and boil or pressure cook with 1 tsp pav bhaji masala until softened.

2. Pressure cook the mixed vegetables along with tomatoes and peas separately with 1 tsp pav bhaji masala until softened.

3. Mash potatoes and mixed vegetables separately and keep aside.

4. In a large, wide pan, add 2 tbsp butter, along with 1 tbsp oil on medium heat. Add in onions, bell peppers, and green chilis, and sauté for two minutes.

5. Mix in ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, salt, kasuri methi and 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala, and fry for 5 minutes. Mash the mixture with a potato masher.

6. Add in mashed mixed vegetables and incorporate into mixture by mashing with the potato masher. Then, do the same thing with the mashed potatoes.

7. Add 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 lemon juiced, cilantro, and continue mashing.

8. When the mixture comes together as a thick paste, add in 1/2 cup of water and mix.

9. Turn off the heat while the mixture is still liquidy.

10. In a different pan, toast the pavs with a tbsp butter and a garnishing of cilantro.

11. Serve pavs with a bowl of bhaji, onions, and a slice of lemon, as shown in the picture above. Enjoy!