Pav bhaji is an Indian fast food dish made up of thick vegetable curry (bhaji) and a soft bread bun (pav). Its roots can be found in Maharashtra. The dish started out as a quick meal for Mumbai textile mill workers. Pav bhaji was later served in restaurants all throughout the town. Pav bhaji is now available in India and beyond, from street vendors to established restaurants. Pav bhaji is a spicy mashed vegetable dish served with bread in a thick sauce. Potatoes, onions, carrots, chillies, peas, bell peppers, and tomatoes are common ingredients in curry. The curry is frequently cooked on a flat griddle (Tava) and served hot by street vendors. The traditional accompaniment to the dish is a soft white bread roll, however other bread varieties such as chapati, roti, or brown bread can also be used. Depending on how it's made, there are various types of pav bhaji. There is also a Jain variation without the onion and garlic. Then there's Kathiyawadi Pav Bhaji, which is popular in Gujarat's Kathiawar region and uses certain local spices. There's also Khada Pav Bhaji, which has no mashed vegetables. A typical pav-bhaji street food vendor now has a plethora of options. Recipes for cheese, paneer, and even mushroom-flavoured bhaji have flooded the streets. The easy extra butter tossed crimson coloured pav-bhaji recipe has always been my particular favourite. Pav bhaji is a dish that can be eaten at any time of day, including brunch, lunch, and dinner. It's a traditional Indian snack recipe. Pav bhaji is ideally served with toasted pav buns, minced onion, and lemon, as well as sliced tomatoes to accompany it. Don't forget to top the Bhaji with a generous amount of butter!
Here's how you can make Mumbai style Pav Bhaji at home
Ingredients
- Oil
- Butter
- Onion, chopped
- Ginger-garlic paste
- Lauki, chopped
- Capsicum, chopped
- Potatoes, chopped
- Beetroot, chopped
- Salt
- Chilli powder
- Pav bhaji masala
- Red chilli powder
- Tomato puree
- Coriander leaves
- Pav
Directions
- In a pan, heat the oil. Along with the onion, add butter cubes.
- Cook till golden brown, then stir in the ginger-garlic paste. Mix thoroughly.
- Now stir in the chopped lauki and coriander, followed by a cup of chopped potatoes. Mix and mash everything together thoroughly.
- Toss the mashed mixture with the chopped beets, salt, chilli powder, and pav bhaji masala. Mix thoroughly.
- Add the tomato puree now.
- After completely mixing the tomato puree, add the butter and coriander leaves to the cooked bhaaji. Mix everything thoroughly.
Pav
- Using a small brush, coat the pav with butter.
- Season with pav bhaji masala.
- Toast it for a few minutes on the pan until golden brown.
- Serve with a lemon slice, chopped onion, and green chilli on the side.
Tips
- You can boil the vegetables before sauteeing them. This will help you mash them better.
- Food colour helps in enhancing the colour of the dish, although degi mirch and tomato puree work the same.
- Grated radish and carrots as a salad go well with pav bhaji