No mention of Mumbai is complete without its street food and stock exchange. Mumbai is a city of dreams. They say time is money here and rightly so. In this fast pace, people love having quick bites. They travel long distances to work and need a quick refill. You will find amazing places to eat be it cheap street food or high end bistros.
Street food especially at Khau galli is quite difficult to resist. Pav bhaji,vada pav,misal pav,bhelpuri,sevpuri dahi puri, pani puri. The list is endless. After all, food brings us together, for hunger has no color or race. This dish is a yummy and plentiful. Basically, we serve a thick mashed vegetable curry with buns or pav / bread. Use your leftover veggies in the gravy. When we were kids it was a must, during birthday parties.
This curry is great when you have few veggies left in the refrigerator. Just add cooked veggies to onion tomato masala along with special spice blend. Serve it with buns on a busy weeknight for an easy dinner.
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Ingredients
- carrots cubed
- potato peeled,cubed
- bell peppers(red+ green bell pepper) chopped
- sweet potato peeled,cubed
- beetroot peeled,cubed (brings you the prominent red color)
- cauliflower/broccoli florets
- cabbage
- onions finely chopped
- tomatoes chopped
- green peas
- water (if boiling in a pot, use 4 cups water for 1kg veggies, for instant pot use 2 cups water for 1 kg veggies)
- oil/butter
Spices
- cumin seeds
- ginger-garlic paste or chopped fresh ginger garlic
- green chilies / red chilies
- turmeric powder
- red chili powder
- coriander powder
- pav bhaji masala powder
- Salt as per taste
- Coriander leaves, lemon wedges, dollop of butter for garnish
Pav buns / soft dinner rolls / bread rolls.
Refer to details from recipe card.
Instructions
- Chop veggies using a chopper or food processor.
2. Boil the veggies with salt for bhaji.
3. once they have boiled, mash the veggies using a masher or a hand blender.
4. In a separate pan , saute onions in oil along with ginger and chillies.
5. Add chopped tomatoes to the pan and let them soften.
6.Add spices to the mash and mix well, cook for 8-10 minutes until the masala has mixed.
7. Now, add chopped tomato onion mix along with peas, to the boiled mash.
8. Add chopped cilantro to the mash before serving it hot.
9. Toast buns on a cast iron pan for best results and spread some butter on it. Serve the buns with the yummy mash.
Honestly, I have tried various brands of pav bhaji masala, whether it Everest, Badshah, Catch, MDH, Eastern,Brahmin etc etc and have not found much difference. What matters most is the combination of vegetables and cooking of the bhaji. The branded pav bhaji masala that we get is a combination of garam masala with different spices.
How to make pav bhaji in an instant pot?
- Heat oil in the sear/ sauté mode. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Now add chopped onions and cook until they are transparent. Now, add the tomatoes and salt to it and cook until they soften.
- Wash the veggies and add it to the curry. Mix well.
- Add all the dry spices and mix well.
- Add water to the instant pot and mix well.
- Cook for 15 minutes on low pressure and let it release naturally.
- Veggies must be soft enough to be mashed with a fork.
- Mash it with a potato masher and mix well until you get a thick gravy.
- Add the fresh peas / frozen peas and mix well. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Serve hot with buns or bread rolls.
Substitution
You can make this bhaji in instant pot, deep pan, slow cooker and even a pressure cooker. spice level can be altered as per taste by adding more green chilies to it. You can substitute fresh tomatoes with canned tomatoes or tomato puree / tomato paste.
Variations
You can also add any veggies which kids may hate to eat as it is. Be it eggplant, gourds, cauliflowers, sweet potatoes and green beans. You can make it vegan or as well as Jain version (no onion no garlic). Some people love to garnish it with extra butter or heaps of cheese. You may buy the buns from a local bakery or make it at home. We can also make pav bhaji no potato, I add bottle gourd instead.
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Pav Bhaji recipe
Ingredients
- 2 carrots cubed
- 1 large potato peeled,cubed
- 2 capsicums( red+ green) chopped
- 1 sweet potato peeled,cubed
- 1 small beetroot peeled,cubed
- 2 cup cauliflower/broccoli florets
- 2 cup cabbage
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- 4 fresh tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup peas
- 2-3 tablespoon oil/butter
- 2 cups water if boiling in a pot, use 4 cups water for 1kg veggies, for instant pot use 2 cups water for 1 kg veggies
Spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 3 tsp. ginger/garlic/chilli paste
- 1 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tsp. red chilli powder or more as per your liking
- 2 tsp. coriander powder
- 2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala adjust as per your liking
- Salt as per taste
- Coriander leaves, lemon juice , butter for garnish
Instructions
Traditional pressure cooker method:
- Chop all vegetables for the pav bhaji. Boil hard vegetables potatoes, carrots and beetroots for 15 mins with 3-4 cups of water and salt.
- Now, add broccoli and capsicums and let it come to a boil.
- Add chopped cabbage to it. Cover and cook on slow flame until all vegetables are soft.
- Mash the boiled veggies it using a blender or potato masher,keep it aside.
- Heat oil/butter in a pan, add cumin seeds, chopped onions,ginger,garlic and chilli,saute until onions are golden brown.
- Add the tomatoes with spices, let it cook for few minutes.
- Add chopped tomato onion mix along with peas,to the boiled mash. Let it simmer for 15 mins.
In instant pot:
- Heat oil in the sear/ sauté mode. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Now add chopped onions and cook until they are transparent. Now, add the tomatoes and salt to it and cook until they soften.
- Wash the veggies and add it to the curry. Mix well.
- Add all the dry spices and mix well.
- Add water to the instant pot and mix well.
- Cook for 15 minutes on low pressure and let it release naturally.
- Mash it with a potato masher and mix well until you get a thick gravy.
- Add the fresh peas / frozen peas and mix well. Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with a dash of lemon juice and a dollop of butter/ vegan butter.
How to toast pav?
- Toast buns on a pan for best results and spread some butter on it.Serve pav with hot bhaji and some crunchy onions on the side.
FAQ
Yes, as the curry soaks all the spices well by then and taste evolves.
Yes, like most curries it does freeze well.
Storage
Store them in a container in refrigerator for 3-4 days. Best to have it fresh though.
Food safety
- Always keep kitchen ventilated while cooking.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
Conclusion: This popular Indian street food dish can be enjoyed at Juhu beach. You can make Mumbai style pav bhaji in a stovetop pressure cooker and also as instant pot pav bhaji recipe.This mixed vegetable curry served with burger buns is a crowd pleaser with its unique flavor.
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