Kitchen Tips: Tips To Make Street-Style Pav Bhaji At Home

The love between Indians and street food is no hidden secret. From the Jhal Muri in Bengal to Desi Chinese in Delhi and Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji in Mumbai, all parts of India have some of the most delicious and appetizing street foods in the store. No matter how long or short is the trip to the market, one cannot return without relishing at least one from the array of decadent street foods available. Oh, we Indians can visit places just to enjoy street food too. 

On our trip to the streets of India today, we are halting at Mumbai to enjoy one of the city’s favourite street foods- Pav Bhaji. Arguably, Pav Bhaji has an avid fan following and is one of the most delicious culinary marvels that Mumbai has provided the world with. Any foodie who loves Indian street food swears by the lip-smacking deliciousness of Pav Bhaji. Visiting Mumbai and returning without savouring a plate of Pav Bhaji is impossible for foodies like us. I was gobsmacked by the Mumbai street-style Pav Bhaji after I visited the city. I ate with my eyes first before digging into the dish. I mean who can ignore the bright red Bhaji with a dollop of butter and crunchy raw onion slices on top alongside the fluffy and soft Pavs? However, my attempts at savouring the same Pav Bhaji after coming back were futile. Neither could I get the same visual appeal and taste. But my recent tete e tete with one of my Mumbaikar friends revealed the secrets of the Mumbai street-style Pav Bhaji to me. If you are in search of some easy tips to get the same taste as street-style Pav Bhaji at home, then this article is just for you. 

  1. Cook the vegetables with a generous amount of butter to pack in flavour and aroma. 
  2. Make sure your vegetables are cooked to perfection before mashing them. 
  3. Do not cook the masala before cooking the vegetables. Create space in the center of the bed of mashed vegetables, cook the onions, ginger-garlic paste and coriander leaves with a generous amount of butter and incorporate it with the mashed vegetables after cooking. 
  4. Add 2-3 drops of red food colour to your Bhaji for visual appeal. 
  5. Add Pav Bhaji masala and coriander leaves to the butter before roasting the Pavs in it for added flavour. 
  6. Patiently mash the vegetables till you get a smooth consistency. 

Do follow these tips the next time you plan to make Pav Bhaji at home. Here’s a detailed recipe for you to follow.