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Editorial photo of pav bhaji recipe

Pav Bhaji Recipe: The Street-Style and Home-Style Versions, Kept Apart

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Ingredients
  

  • 3 medium (250 grams) potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 to 1.25 cups (120 to 130 grams) cauliflower, chopped (keep minimal for street-style)
  • 1 cup carrot, chopped (omit for street-style)
  • 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen (dried for street-style)
  • ⅓ cup french beans, chopped (12 to 14 beans, optional)
  • 2.25 to 2.5 cups water, for pressure cooking the vegetables
  • 3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ cup (1 medium) onion, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste (or 1.5 inch ginger and 5 to 6 garlic cloves, crushed)
  • 1 teaspoon green chilies, chopped (or serrano peppers)
  • ½ cup capsicum (green bell pepper), finely chopped
  • 2 cups tomatoes, finely chopped, tightly packed
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or 3 to 4 soaked dried Kashmiri chilies, ground)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons pav bhaji masala, added to taste
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water, or the vegetable cooking stock, added as needed
  • Salt, as required
  • 12 pav (dinner rolls), or as needed
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, for roasting the pav
  • 1 lemon or lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 medium-to-large onion, finely chopped, for topping
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped, for garnish
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons butter, for topping

Instructions
 

  • Rinse, peel, and chop the vegetables. Pressure cook the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, peas, and beans with 2.25 to 2.5 cups water for 5 to 6 whistles, about 12 minutes on medium heat (Veg Recipes of India). For an Instant Pot, pressure cook 6 minutes on high, then quick release (Ministry of Curry). Reserve the cooking stock.
  • Heat a wide pan or kadai and melt 3 tablespoons butter. Add cumin seeds, then the onion. Sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger-garlic paste and green chili, then the capsicum, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes (Indian Healthy Recipes).
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté on low to medium heat until soft and mushy and the butter separates at the sides, about 6 to 7 minutes (Veg Recipes of India).
  • Add turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, and pav bhaji masala. Mix well and sauté about 2 minutes, until the raw smell goes (Indian Healthy Recipes). For deeper red without heat, stir in the soaked-chili paste here.
  • Add the cooked vegetables and their stock. Season with salt. Mash directly in the pan with a potato masher for a coarse texture, or use an immersion blender for a smooth paste. Add water if it looks thick; the consistency should be neither thin nor stiff.
  • Simmer on low, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes (Veg Recipes of India) - up to about 15 minutes for a deeper flavor (Cook With Manali). Taste; for more heat add another ½ teaspoon chili powder and cook 3 to 4 minutes more (Indian Healthy Recipes).
  • Slice each pav horizontally. Heat a griddle or skillet on low, add butter, sprinkle a little pav bhaji masala into it, and press the cut sides of the rolls down until warm and lightly toasted, so they absorb the spiced butter.
  • Serve the bhaji hot, topped with a cube of butter, chopped raw onion, cilantro, and a lemon or lime wedge, with the toasted pav alongside.