Another popular Indian Street Food! This delicious and easy Pav Bhaji recipe is made by mashing vegetables with masala and butter. It is served with soft toasted buns. To make this recipe Vegan, simply replace the butter in the recipe with a Vegan Butter.
Pav Bhaji
When I first started the blog, I would write about my love for Indian street food. Somewhere along the line, I forgot all about making it. Although forgetting about it is hard when you live in Leicester. We are surrounded by streets that sell delicious Indian Street Food favourites. Food that is so delicious and so cheap to buy too.
This has to be one of the most popular Indian street foods. The recipe is really easy. Mashed vegetables with butter are served with soft buns. The buns themselves are buttered and toasted and used as a vehicle for the mash.
Vegetables used in Pav Bhaji masala are Potatoes, Onions, Cauliflower, Peppers and Peas. Sometimes not all of it is used and other times additional veg is used. I like to add Carrots for sweetness and I don't add pepper.
The Pav Bhaji Masala can be found in any South Asian Supermarket. It is made up of Coriander Seeds, Black Cardamom, Cumin, Fennel, Ginger, Turmeric, Pepper, Red Chillies, Cinnamon, Black Salt, Cloves and Amchur (Mango Powder).
You can make your own but it is much easier to buy it. I buy it but if you prefer to make your own, I have included a recipe below.
Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala
Ingredients and instructions:
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 Black Cardamom
- 3 dried red chilies
- 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ¾ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon amchur
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon black salt
Simply dry roast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, cloves, fennel seeds, black cardamom and cinnamon stick until fragrant, around 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool and then grind using a spice grinder. Add the remaining ingredients and grind again till combined. Store in an airtight container at room temperature and use as required.
How to Make Pav Bhaji
Bhaji:
Boil veg and set aside.
Heat butter/oil in pan over medium heat. Add Cumin Seeds.
Add onion and cook till golden. Now stir in ginger, garlic and green chilli.
Add tomatoes, water and salt and cook covered until the tomatoes have softened.
Add the pav bhaji masala, red chili powder and salt. Mix well, then add dried fenugreek leaves.
Stir in the boiled veggies and mix.
Use a potato masher, mash the veggies until they are completely mixed with the masala.
Add water and mix. At this point you can use a stick blender to mash the veggies up further but I prefer to have a mix of chunky and mashed veg.
Cover the pot and and simmer on low for for 15 minutes.
Stir in butter.
Add Coriander and Lemon.
Toasting the Pav
Traditionally eggless dinner rolls are used in this recipe but you can use any dinner tolls you like.
To toast, melt butter on a pan. Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala on top of the butter and then place the buns on the pan.
Press down to toast the pav until crisp and golden brown.
To serve
Divide the Pav Bhaji between bowls, top with a dollop of butter. Serve with 2 pass and chopped red onions and tomatoes.
Tips to make Pav Bhaji
Use lots of butter in the recipe.
Add a squeeze of Lemon Juice just before serving.
Garnish with Coriander, Red Onions and Tomatoes.
Toasting the pav bun in butter and a pinch of pav bhaji masala, adds so much flavour so don't be tempted to skip this step.
More Veggie Favourites
Roast Vegetables with Feta and Pine Nuts
**If you make this recipe, please don't forget to rate/comment and tag us on Social Media.
Pav Bhaji Recipe
Ingredients
Bhaji
- 3 Potatoes Peeled and chopped into 1 inch chunks
- 1 large Carrot Peeled and chopped into cubes
- ½ large Cauliflower Seperated into florets
- 1 cup Peas 150g, I use Petit Pois
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tablespoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 Onion Sliced finey
- 5 - 6 cloves Garlic crushed
- 1.5 inch Ginger crushed
- 2 Green Chillies chopped finely
- 2 Tomatoes Chopped
- 100 ml Water
- Salt
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 3 tablespoon Pav Bhaji Masala Powder
- ½ teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri Methi (Dried Fenugreek) Optional
- 500 ml Water
- 3 heaped tbsp Butter
Pav and serving
- Butter
- 10 Pavs/Dinner Rolls
- Pav Bhaji Masala
- 1 Tomato Cubed finely
- 1 Red Onion Sliced
- Coriander
- 1 Lemon
Instructions
Bhaji
- Wash and boil the vegetables until soft, then set aside. This will take around 10 - 12 minutes in a pressure cooker and 25 minutes on the hob.
- Heat butter/oil in pan over medium heat. Add Cumin Seeds and cook till they sizzle.
- Add onions and cook till golden brown (at least 10 minutes). Now stir in ginger, garlic and green chilli.
- Add tomatoes, water and salt and cook covered on low until the tomatoes have softened. (5 - 6 minutes).
- Add the turmeric, pav bhaji masala and red chili powder. Mix well, then add dried fenugreek leaves.
- Stir in the boiled veggies and mix. Use a potato masher to mash the veggies until they are completely mixed with the masala.
- Add water and mix. At this point you can use a stick blender to mash the veggies up further but I prefer to have a mix of chunky and mashed veg. Cover the pot and and simmer on low for for 15 minutes then stir in butter.
Pav and serving
- To toast the dinner rolls/pav, melt butter on a pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala on top of the butter (optional) and then place the buns on the pan. Press down to toast the pav until crisp and golden brown.
- Divide the Pav Bhaji between bowls, top with a dollop of butter. Serve with pav, chopped red onions/tomatoes, coriander and a squeeze of Lemon.
Leave a Reply