Recipe: Brush aside Monday blues with street style pav bhaji

Trust us, you don't need that kind of negativity in your life! Craving street food tonight? This lip smacking recipe of street style pav bhaji by Chef Sanjyot Keer can be whipped up in just 30-35 minutes, serves 7-8 people and will surely take away all your Monday stress.

Coriander seeds 5 tbsp

Cumin seeds 3 tbsp

Cloves 20-22 nos.

Star anise 4-5 nos.

Black cardamom 5-6 nos.

Cinnamon 3-4 sticks

Bay leaf 4-5 nos.

Kashmiri red chillies 20-25 nos.

Fennel seeds 3 tbsp

Kasuri methi 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Dry ginger powder ½ tsp

Hing 1 tsp

Kaala namak 1 tsp

Aamchur powder 1 tbsp

Salt 1 tbsp

Method:

Set a pan on medium low heat, heat the pan moderately, low down the heat, add coriander seeds & jeera seeds, roast them on low flame for 1-2 minutes, further add the remaining whole spices and roast on low flame until fragrant. Add kasuri methi at last stage & briefly roast for 5 seconds.

Transfer the roasted spices over a plate and allow to cool down to room temperature, once cooled down transfer in a grinding jar and add the powdered spices, grind to make a fine powder. You can grind them in batches.

Your pav bhaji masala is ready, you can use the masala directly or can also pass it through a sieve. Store in an airtight container, it stays good in the fridge up to 2-3 months, use accordingly.

Pre-prep -

Ingredients for red chilli paste:

Kashmiri red chillies 15-20 nos. (deseeded & soaked)

Water as required

Ingredients for garlic paste:

Garlic cloves 3/4th cup

Water as required

Ingredients for boiling veggies:

Boiling water

Phool gobhi 1 medium sized

Hare matar 3/4th cup

A pinch of haldi powder

A pinch of salt

Method:

For red chilli paste, transfer the soaked kashmiri red chillies in a mixer grinder, add water as required and grind in a fine & runny paste.

For garlic paste, transfer the garlic cloves in a mixer grinder, add water as required & grind in a fine and runny paste. The consistency should be watery.

For boiling the vegetables, set water for boiling in a stock pot, add the veggies, haldi and salt, boil and cover until it turns soft & is cooked. Once its cooked strain the water and keep aside.

Ingredients for base bhaji:

Butter 50 gm + oil 2 tbsp

Jeera seeds 2 tsp

Onions 2-3 medium size (chopped)

Capsicum 2 medium size (chopped)

Potatoes 7-8 medium size (boiled & mashed)

Tomatoes 7-8 medium size (chopped)

Boiled green peas

Boiled cauliflower florets

Beetroot 1 medium size (boiled & grated)

Fresh coriander a handful (chopped)

Salt to taste

Prepared pav bhaji masala 2 tbsp

Kashmiri red chilli 1 tsp

Dhaniya powder 1 tbsp

Haldi powder ½ tsp

Kasuri methi 1 tsp

Green chilli paste (paste of 2 green chillies)

Prepared garlic paste 7-8 tbsp

Prepared red chilli paste 7-8 tbsp

Hot water as required

Ingredients for tadka:

Butter 50 grams

A pinch of jeera seeds

Prepared red chilli paste 4-5 tbsp

Garlic paste/water 2-3 tbsp

Pav bhaji masala 1 tsp

A pinch of garam masala

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander leaves

Butter as per your preference

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Method:

Set a big size tawa on medium high heat, add butter & oil, further add jeera & allow it to crackle, add onions and cook until they turn pinkish in colour.

Further add capsicum and cook on high flame for 2-3 minutes.

Further add the boiled & chopped veggies, salt, prepared pav bhaji masala, powdered spices & green chilli paste, mix it really well & try to break down the veggie chunks with the spatula.

Further add prepared garlic and chilli paste, mix well and initially add 1-2 cups of hot water, now use a pav bhaji masher and start to mash the bhaji really well, keep the flame low and mash until the bhaji is almost crushed.

You can adjust the consistency of the bhaji by adding additional hot water, i like the consistency of my pav bhaji to be little thin just like the street vendors do, you can adjust the consistency of the bhaji as per your preference. The whole process of cooking will take about 15-20 minutes.

The base of the bhaji is ready, let the bhaji simmer on low flame by the time you can make the tadka that needs to go on the bhaji.

For tadka, set a pan on medium heat, add butter, jeera, prepared red chilli paste and garlic paste, pav bhaji masala and garam masala, cook on medium high flame for 1-2 minutes, further add the tadka into the bhaji and mix well.

Check for the seasoning and adjust the salt as per taste.

Further add freshly chopped coriander leaves, butter and lemon juice, mix well and cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, your bhaji is ready to be serve with nice soft buttery pav.

Ingredients for red chilli garlic chutney:

Oil 3-4 tbsp

Jeera seeds 1 tsp

Prepared chilli paste ½ cup approx.

Prepared garlic paste ½ cup approx.

Salt to taste

Pav bhaji masala 1 tsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Jeera powder 1 tsp

Kala namak 1 tsp

Green chilli paste (paste of 2 green chillies)

Fresh coriander 1 tbsp (chopped)

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Method:

Set a pan on medium heat, add oil and add all the remaining ingredients in order, stir and cook on medium heat until the oil separates from the chutney, your red garlic chutney is ready, serve as a condiment with hot pav bhaji.

Ingredients for assembly:

Pav 2 nos.

Butter 2 tbsp

Red garlic chutney 2 tsp

Fresh coriander 1 tbsp

Method:

Slit the pav in two equal halves, keeping the end intact.

Set a tawa or pan on medium heat, add butter, red garlic chutney and fresh coriander, mix and place the pav on the tawa, coat the pav with the butter completely and cook it briefly for soft pav. You can also toast it a little further if you want the pavs to be little golden brown in colour and crispier in texture.

Your bhaji and hot soft pav are ready. Serve it garma garam with some cucumber, chopped onions and lemon on side along with the red garlic chutney and please do not forget to top it with butter on hot bhaji.

Enjoy this amazing street style pav bhaji with your family and friends.

(Recipe: Chef Sanjyot Keer)