Pav bhaji is my brothers all-time favourite dish and he can eat it for 3 meals in a row. I never liked pavbhaji much and the only place where I could eat and enjoy pav bhaji is the one at Haldiram’s that’s loaded with garlic. I was on a quest to look out for a recipe to match this, the opportunity danced in front of my eyes when guests were coming over at my parent’s place and my mother requested me to make pav bhaji for them. I jumped at the request and after having spent hours on google finally narrowed down on a recipe for pav bhaji and added my own twists to it. So here it is- my father doesn’t like garlic and I love it, so instead of adding garlic in the beginning of making of pav bhaji I ended up adding it in the end as a tempering after removing a portion for him. This tempering gives pav bhaji a whole new dimension and voila I have a recipe even better than Haldiram’s.
You can always serve them up with pavs, bread or whatever else you like. The bhaji will always taste delicious.
I sometimes make extra bhaji and freeze it. I freeze it before adding tempering to it. So, when ready to eat, de freeze it, heat it and add the tempering, it tastes as good as the fresh one.
Pav/ bun
Since Mumbai style pavs are not available in Delhi, I use English ovens Burger buns to serve along with pav bhaji. These are very soft and light unlike the pavs available in Delhi which are very thick and heavy. I realized that Haldiram always serves up their pavbhaji with buns rather than their counterpart pav. And now I know why.
Wash vegetables and finely chop:
6 stringed beans
2 small peeled carrots
1 medium capsicum
2 medium onions- skin removed
4 small tomatoes
3 big cauliflower florets
3 green chillies
In a pressure cooker add chopped:
+beans
+carrots
+cauliflower
+peas (fresh/frozen)
Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles until cooked.
Make:
ginger paste
garlic paste
Boil 3 large potatoes separately in a pressure cooker with skin.
After boiling cool and peel potatoes.
Mash the pressure cooked vegetables-
+carrot
+cauliflower
+beans
+peas
+potatoes together.
Heat oil in a kadai and sauté finely chopped onions until light brown.
Add:
+ 1 teaspoon ginger paste
+ chopped green chilli
Cook until the raw aroma goes for about 45 seconds.
+ finely chopped capsicum to the above and cook until soft.
+ finely chopped tomato to the onion-capsicum mixture and cook until tomatoes turn soft.
Slightly mash everything together.
This step will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
Add:
+ 2 teaspoon of salt
+ 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
+ 5 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala.
Cook for 1 minute.
(1/2 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala will be used later)
+ mashed veggies
+ 50 ml water
+ 75 grams butter
Cook until done.
Taste and adjust the salt if required.
In a separate pan take 30 grams butter and let it melt. When hot add:
+ 2 teaspoon garlic paste
Saute until slightly browned.
Switch off the flame and add:
+ 2 teaspoon kasuri methi
+ ½ teaspoon pav bhaji masala.
Keep aside for 30 seconds.
Pour this tempering over the already prepared bhaji and mix well and add:
+ handful of finely chopped coriander leaves.
+ 1 teaspoon sugar
(this cuts through the sourness of tomatoes, rounds off the flavour and brings everything together)
Serve hot garnished with:
coriander leaves
lemon wedges
finely chopped onions.
Serve along with pav buns/burger buns/bread slices.
Slice the buns/pav buns in half and slather butter on both sides.
If using bread slice just slather butter on both sides without cutting them.
Take a pan and heat it.
Slightly brown the buttered buns/pav buns/ bread slice on both sides and serve.
P.S. For a smooth good looking pav bhaji use a hand blender in the end just before garnishing. Easy peasy way to get a good looking bhaji.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash vegetables and finely chop:
6 stringed beans
2 small peeled carrots
1 medium capsicum
2 medium onions- skin removed
4 small tomatoes
3 big cauliflower florets
3 green chillies
In a pressure cooker add chopped:
+beans
+carrots
+cauliflower
+peas (fresh/frozen)
Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles until cooked.
Make:
ginger paste
garlic paste
Boil 3 large potatoes separately in a pressure cooker with skin.
After boiling cool and peel potatoes.
Mash the pressure cooked vegetables-
+carrot
+cauliflower
+beans
+peas
+potatoes together.
Heat oil in a kadai and sauté finely chopped onions until light brown.
Add:
+ 1 teaspoon ginger paste
+ chopped green chilli
Cook until the raw aroma goes for about 45 seconds.
+ finely chopped capsicum to the above and cook until soft.
+ finely chopped tomato to the onion-capsicum mixture and cook until tomatoes turn soft.
Slightly mash everything together.
This step will take approximately 10-15 minutes.
Add:
+ 2 teaspoon of salt
+ 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
+ 5 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala.
Cook for 1 minute.
(1/2 teaspoon of pav bhaji masala will be used later)
+ mashed veggies
+ 50 ml water
+ 75 grams butter
Cook until done.
Taste and adjust the salt if required.
In a separate pan take 30 grams butter and let it melt. When hot add:
+ 2 teaspoon garlic paste
Saute until slightly browned.
Switch off the flame and add:
+ 2 teaspoon kasuri methi
+ ½ teaspoon pav bhaji masala.
Keep aside for 30 seconds.
Pour this tempering over the already prepared bhaji and mix well and add:
+ handful of finely chopped coriander leaves.
+ 1 teaspoon sugar
(this cuts through the sourness of tomatoes, rounds off the flavour and brings everything together)
Serve hot garnished with:
coriander leaves
lemon wedges
finely chopped onions.
Serve along with pav buns/burger buns/bread slices.
Slice the buns/pav buns in half and slather butter on both sides.
If using bread slice just slather butter on both sides without cutting them.
Take a pan and heat it.
Slightly brown the buttered buns/pav buns/ bread slice on both sides and serve.
P.S. For a smooth good looking pav bhaji use a hand blender in the end just before garnishing. Easy peasy way to get a good looking bhaji.