Mumbai Pav Bhaji- A spicy and tangy mix vegetable mash- A popular street food of Maharashtra
The essential veggies like potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and capsicum lay the foundation for the bhaji. To lend depth and substance, you have the liberty to throw in other veggies like cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, beans, pumpkin, bottle gourd, peeled brinjal and a slice of beetroot, these vegetables are added for volume and thickness .letting you tailor the bhaji to your taste and the contents of your kitchen.
A small pieces of beetroot gives a very nice colour to the bhaji, or use kashmiri chili powder for the bright colour. The rough ratio of potato and vegetable in the bhaji is almost half potatoes and half other vegetables but you can adjust as per your preference.
Crafting Pav Bhaji at home not only ensures a healthier version but also makes it an excellent choice for the little ones. For that extra creaminess and nutritional punch, consider adding soaked, boiled, and crushed soya granules, along with boiled dried peas or chickpeas. Boiled vatana/ dried green peas or chickpeas/ choley gives a very nice creamy texture to the pav bhaji so do try adding it in your bhaji.
I have used purple cabbage instead of green cabbage because its more nutritious then green cabbage and most of the children avoid eating it due to its colour so its a good idea to hide it in pav bhaji and it also give a nice dark colour to the bhaji ,so I prefer it but you can easily use green cabbage instead or can use only cauliflower.
The true star of the show, of course, is the Pav Bhaji masala. Skipping it is simply not an option. Choosing a quality brand, like my personal favorite, Everest or badshah can make all the difference, creating a symphony of flavors that elevates this street food classic to a whole new level.
Do check all the notes given below the recipe card
So, make yourself a plate of this Mumbai delight at home. It’s not just a meal; it’s a tasty experience. Enjoy!
How To Make Mumbai Pav Bhaji ,Pav Bhaji Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 gms Tomatoes / Tamatar chopped
- 500 gms Potatoes / Aloo
- 120 gms Carrot / Gajar
- 250 gms Cabbage optional
- 250 gms Cauliflower /phool gobhi
- 3 medium Bell Peppers / Capsicum / Shimla Mirch
- 1/2 cup fresh Green Peas / Hari Matar boiled
- 275 gms Bottle Gourd / Lauki optional check notes.
- 1/3 cup Dried green peas Soaked overnight
- 3 tbsp Fresh Coriander / Cilantro / Hara Dhaniya
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice / Nimbu Ka Ras
- 1.5 cup Water / Paani
- 4 tbsp Butter, Unsalted / Makkhan
- 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder / Haldi Powder
- 2.5 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 3 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
- 1/4 tsp Black Salt / Kala Namak
- To taste Salt / Namak
Instructions
- Boil the dried green peas in the pressure cooker with a glass of water ,till they are cooked perfectly and become soft and mushy (instead of dried peas you can also use kabuli chana)
- Peel potato and bottle gourd and chop in medium size pieces. Scrape and grate carrot and keep aside.
- Chop tomato and crush to make a paste(this is optional, you can also use chopped,but pureed tomatoes give a nice color so I prefer this way )
- Chop capsicum, cabbage and cauliflower in small pieces.
- In a pressure cooker add chopped potato, boiled dried green peas(or chick peas)bottle gourd, grated carrot, chopped cabbage,grated beetroot cauliflower,1.5 cups of water and pressure cook on medium heat for 4 whistles.
- When cooker cools down completely then mash the vegetables with a potato masher or ladle, avoid making smooth puree with a hand blender
- Heat oil in a pan and then add butter ,when it become warm then add chopped capsicum and saute on medium heat.
- When capsicum change its colour then and tomato puree.Cook on medium heat, keep it covered with a plate to avoid it spluttering all over.
- When it starts to thicken then add 1 tbsp of butter, ,all the dry spices, and keep stirring it till oil start leaving from the sides.
- Now add the mashed vegetables and boiled green peas, fresh green peas and mix it well.
- If you want then you can add some more hot water in it to adjust the consistency according to your choice.
- Cover the pan and let it simmer on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Add lemon juice, fresh coriander and some butter and mix.
- Serve hot with roasted buttered pav.
Notes
- Slit the pav from the center.
- Heat some butter on the tawa/griddle and sprinkle some chili powder and a pinch of pav bhaji masala and immediately keep the slit pav over it.
- Press the pav slightly and cook for few seconds from both the sides till they turn crisp and hot.
- Remove from the tawa and apply some butter on top of the pav.
- Serve bhaji with a dallop of butter,hot roasted pav, some deep fried green chilies and a wedge of lemon.
- Though the list of vegetables is quite long to use in pav bhaji but the main ingredients are - capsicum, potato,peas, tomatoes and pav bhaji masala, all the mix vegetables are added to give texture and volume to the bhaji ., you can add the vegetables available with you which don't have strong taste.
- You can also add some soaked and boiled dried green peas or chick peas/chholey at step -5 to give thickness to the bhaji ,many restaurants and street vendors use it.
- You can also add french beans, peeled brinjal, a slice of beetroot and yellow pumpkin in the bhaji and reduce the amount of potatoes.
- The ratio of potato,tomato and all the mix vegetables are approximately 1:1:1 ,but as I don't want to add too much potatoes so I have used some bottle gourd in it ,you can also use yellow pumpkin or squash instead (or increase the quantity of potatoes) their will be no change in the taste and will be more nutritious.
- I have used purple cabbage instead of green cabbage because its more nutritious then green cabbage and most of the children avoid eating it due to its colour so its a good idea to hide it in pav bhaji and it also give a nice dark colour to the bhaji ,so I prefer it but you can easily use green cabbage instead or can use only cauliflower.
- The quality of pav bhaji masala is also very important so either use home made pav bhaji masala or choose a good brand of ready made masala .I have used -Everest pav bhaji masala.but don't skip adding this masala.
- Kashmiri red chili powder is used to give a nice red colour to the bhaji but if it is not available then can use regular chili powder but do reduce the quantity according to its heat.
- To make it more healthier for your kids you can also add soaked ,boiled and coarsely ground soya nuggets into it.
- Quick Version- - Many times I just reverse the method -First I make the tomato masala in the pressure cooker then add all the chopped vegetables and water in the pressure cooker ,pressure cook for 4 whistles,mash the bhaji ,add lemon juice and coriander and serve.I really prefer it this way!
Manju says
Perfect recipe.. Everyone in family loved it…made it for my friends too.. Now it’s a favourite of everyone I know!
anjanaskc says
Thank you Manju !
rekha says
Which masala are u using…. and thanks for this Recipe of Pav Bhaji
anjanaskc says
Rekha I often use Badshah brand
therecipewriter says
I just love pav baji. I am drooling over your photos 🙂
Gotta try the recipe this weekend in sha Allah 🙂