Pav Bhaji is a hurried meal for the man in the street. It is a spicy blend of vegetables in tomato gravy served with soft buttered pav (buns). The boiled and mashed veggies give it a smooth yet chunky texture and the pav bhaji masala gives it a mouth-watering aroma and taste.
This is truly an innovation that arose out of the necessity of providing a nice hot meal in hurry and one that tickles the taste buds. When I am lazy to cook on an entire meal for my family, pav bhaji in one of the first few dishes which comes to mind. It is easy to cook and also filling.
Now let’s get straight into the recipe……
Ingredients
For the Pav
- 10 Pavs/ Buns
- 5 tbsp. Butter
For the Bhaji
- 1 cup Cauliflower, chopped
- ½ cup Green Peas
- ½ cup Carrot, chopped
- 5 tbsp. Butter
- 1 cup Onions, finely chopped
- ½ cup Capsicum, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. Chilli-Garlic paste
- 1 cup Tomatoes, chopped
- 1 ½ tsp. Chilli powder
- 1 ½ tbsp. Pav Bhaji Masala
- ¼ tsp. Turmeric powder
- ½ cup Potatoes, boiled and mashed
- Salt, to taste
- 2 tsp. Lemon juice
- ¼ cup Coriander, finely chopped
For Serving
- ½ cup Onions, finely chopped
- 5 Lemon wedges
Method
For the bhaji
- Combine the cauliflower, green peas, carrot and a cup of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
- Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Keep aside.
- Heat the butter in a deep non-stick pan; add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Add the capsicum and chilli-garlic paste and sauté on a medium flame for 2 minutes.
- Next add the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric powder and ¼ cup of water, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 3 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- To the above mix add the potatoes, cauliflower mixture along with the water and salt, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 4 minutes, while stirring occasionally and mashing it.
- Add the lemon juice and coriander and mix well. Keep aside.
For the pav
- Slit 2 pavs and keep aside.
- Heat a non-stick griddle, add 1 tablespoon of butter and slit open the pavs and place on it.
- Cook on a medium flame till they turn light brown and crisp on both the sides.
- Repeat the above steps to cook more pavs. Keep aside.
- Serve the bhaji hot with pavs, onions and lemon wedges. Yummy…..