Pav Bhaji Recipe
A detailed recipe to make quick and delicious Mumbai pav bhaji at home. Bhaji is a mix vegetable curry served with Indian buns - pav
A detailed recipe to make quick and delicious Mumbai pav bhaji at home. Bhaji is a mix vegetable curry served with Indian buns - pav
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- â½ to â¾ tsp red chili powder
- 1 cup cubed potatoes - 3 medium or 2 large
- â½ to â¾ cup green peas or matar
- â½ to 1 cup cauliflower or gobi
- â½ cup capsicum chopped
- 1 tbsp butter or oil ((2 tbsp. suggested))
- 2 medium onions ((â¾ cup finely chopped ))
- 1 green chili ((optional))
- â¼ tsp turmeric or haldi
- 1 tbsp. paav bhaji masala powder ((use more if your
- 1 large tomato or 2 medium chopped
- â½ tsp kasuri methi ((optional))
- additional butter for pav
- 4 to 6 pav (buns)
- lemon wedges (as needed)
- chopped onions (as needed)
- coriander leaves
- Carbohydrate 0.0363322916074918 g
- Cholesterol 7.62578125327025 mg
- Fat 2.87877031373118 g
- Fiber 0.00683333326696588 g
- Protein 0.0358442708401081 g
- Saturated Fat 1.82231458411398 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (4g)
- Sodium 20.5091666753839 mg
- Sugar 0.0294989583405259 g
- Trans Fat 0.20202864591889 g
- Calories 26 calories
Step-by-step
- Boil or pressure cook cauliflower, potatoes and peas until cooked fully. Mash up well when the pressure comes down. You can also cook these in a pot.
- Add butter or oil to a pan and heat up. Add onions and fry till they turn translucent, add ginger garlic paste and chili. Fry till it gets fragrant. Fry capsicums for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add tomatoes, salt. Fry till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
- Add chili powder and pav bhaji masala powder. Mix and fry for another 2 minutes or until the raw smell of the mixture goes away.
- Add boiled & mashed veggies.
- Pour water just enough to bring to a consistency.
- Cook for 3 to 5 mins until the bhaji thickens. Add kasuri methi if using and cook until it reaches a desired consistency.
- Slit the pav buns horizontally leaving one edge intact.
- Heat butter on a pan. Open the buns and sprinkle some masala on butter. Place the pav & toast it for a min or two.
- Garnish pav bhaji with onions, butter and serve it hot or warm.
Unlike a clear vegetable soup that relies on a transparent broth and distinct vegetable shapes, pav bhaji requires a completely homogenized texture where root vegetables and aromatics fuse into a thick, uniform mass. Mastering this dish depends on understanding how starch breakdown and fat emulsification work together in the pan.
The Science of Mashing and Frying
When boiling potatoes, cauliflower, and peas, cook them until the cell walls break down entirely, which allows for effortless mashing. Fry the spice blend and tomatoes until the fat separates from the paste, a visual cue that indicates the raw moisture has evaporated and the spices have bloomed. Adding water gradually prevents the starches from clumping while achieving the desired gravy viscosity within three to five minutes of simmering.Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Many cooks fail by rushing the tomato reduction phase or burning the pav bhaji masala on high heat. Spices contain volatile oils that turn bitter if scorched directly in dry fat, so maintain medium-low heat when blooming powders. Another frequent error involves using too much water at once, which dilutes the rich butter emulsion and yields a watery curry rather than a clingy, rich mash.The Second-Day Transformation
Cool the leftover bhaji completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Starch retrogradation occurs during chilling, which tightens the texture and concentrates the flavors of the garlic, ginger, and spices significantly. Reheat the cold curry in a skillet with an extra pat of fresh butter to restore the glossy sheen and velvety mouthfeel before serving with freshly toasted buns.
