Pav Bhaji
Pav bhaji is an iconic dish that features a flavourful blend of mashed vegetables, infused with aromatic spices, creating a rich and savoury curry. It is served alongside buttery toasted pav (bread rolls).
Ingredients
- 3 potatoes roughly chopped
- 1 carrot roughly chopped
- 1 beetroot roughly chopped (optional)
- 1 capsicum finely chopped
- Water as needed
- Salt
- Butter/oil as needed
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 tomatoes finely chopped
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder
- 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala
- 1 tsp sugar optional
- 1 tsp crushed kasuri methi leaves
- Coriander leaves for garnish
- Juice of half lemon
To Serve
- Lemon
- Finely chopped onion
- Butter toasted Pav bun
Instructions
- Boil or pressure cook the mixed vegetables (potatoes, carrots, beetroot) until they are soft. Mash them well and set them aside.
- In a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter.
- Add chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute until the raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped bell peppers, peas and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft and mashed.
- Add pav bhaji masala, Kashmiri chilli powder and salt. Mix well until the raw smell of the masala disappears. Mash the whole mixture with the back of the spoon or a masher.
- Add the boiled and mashed vegetables. Mix everything thoroughly. If the mixture is too thick add hot water to the desired consistency. The bhaji should have a thick and luscious consistency.
- Add kasuri methi and a teaspoon of sugar to balance the flavours. Adding sugar is purely optional.
- Cook the bhaji on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the flame and squeeze the juice of half a lemon.
- Garnish the bhaji with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
- Add a blob of butter and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve the hot and flavourful Pav Bhaji with toasted pav, a wedge of lemon, and additional butter on the side.
Notes
- Adding beetroot to the pav bhaji is optional, but it's a fantastic way to introduce a natural colour and a subtle sweetness to the dish. Traditionally, beetroot is not a part of the classic pav bhaji recipe.
- If you are using fresh peas cook them together with the vegetables.
- You can also add cauliflower to the pav bhaji dish for added texture and flavour.
