Pav Bhaji is the most popular fast food/ street food dish in Indian cuisine. It is a medium to spicy curry prepared from vegetables served with Pav, a type of soft bread toasted with butter. The Bhaji is served with butter, along with finely chopped onion & lemon. Pav Bhaji has many variations,  you will find different types of pav Bhaji on the menu card. Some are Special Pav Bhaji, often spicy served with extra butter over it.

How to make delicious Pav bhaji recipe

Kada Pav Bhaji, the name kada says… chunks of vegetables in it. Jain Pav Bhaji, which is prepared without onion & garlic. Then is Kolhapuri Pav Bhaji….very spicy. Paneer Pav Bhaji, in which paneer is added along with other vegetables. Cheese Pav Bhaji is another famous type of Pav Bhaji, served with lots of grated cheese over the Bhaji.

You can also try my other easy recipes Moong Dal ki Sabzi, Matar Paneer/Cottage cheese and green peas Curry, Beetroot sabzi, Quick Paneer ki sabzi/ Cottage cheese side dish, Bhindi/Lady’s Finger/ Okra sabzi, Suva/Shepu ki sabzi/Dill Side dish, Gaur sabzi/ Clutter beans side dish, Capsicum/Shimla Mirch Besan wale/ Capsicum side dish, Bharva Baigan/Eggplant Curry, Tori/ Turai ka Bharta, Methi Matar Malai/Fenugreek & Green peas curry, Bharva Parval.

 A special dry masala is used to prepare the Bhaji called as Pav Bhaji Masala, which gives it the special taste. This masala is easily available in the market. I have tried cooking the Bhaji using various brands of masala. But the most I liked was of Everest Pav Bhaji masala. It not only gives the taste but also gives a nice red color to the Bhaji. Choose the one which you like.

Some tips to remember before making Pav Bhaji

The main vegetables used to prepare the Bhaji are potato, cauliflower, capsicum & tomato. Don’t add any random vegetables just because it is available in the refrigerator. Many a times it happens that to fulfil the quantity of the bhaji any vegetable is added, this will affect the taste, so avoid doing it. For example carrot, cabbage or matar (peas) will makes the Bhaji sweeter in taste.

Over all everyone has its own way to prepare the Pav Bhaji. I’m sharing my recipe, try it. Hope you all will like it.

Ingredients:

• Potato – 4 large
• Cauliflower – 1 small
• Chopped capsicum – 2 medium
• Chopped onion – 2 large
• Fresh ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
• Roasted & chopped tomatoes – 2 large or 3 medium
• Salt – to taste
• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Butter – 50 gm
• Pav Bhaji masala – 1 to 2 tbsp
• Red chilli powder – 1 to 2 tsp

Method:

• I usually use potato & cauliflower in the ratio of 2:1.
• The first step is to cook together the potato & cauliflower. But before this, boil 2 cups of water in a pan and add 1 tsp of salt to it. Add cauliflower to this water and keep it aside for 2 minutes. This will remove the unwanted raw taste & smell from the cauliflower.

• Now drain the cauliflower. In a pressure cooker cook the chopped potatoes & cauliflower till 2 to 3 whistles. Season with 1 tsp of salt. The potatoes & cauliflower should not be over cooked, keep it soft enough that it will be easily mashed. Once cooked drain the vegetables and keep the stock (water). Mash the potato & cauliflower & keep it aside.

• Roast the tomatoes as shown below. Remove the skin and roughly chop it. Roasting the tomatoes will remove its skin, makes the tomatoes softer and gives a nice dense red colour to the Bhaji. Also it reduces the cooking time.

• Now we will prepare the masala.
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a kadhai.
• Add ginger garlic paste and cook for a minute.
• Then add chopped onion and cook till onion becomes translucent.
• Add red chilli powder & pav Bhaji masala. Mix it.
• When the spices are cooked, add chopped tomatoes and cook till they are soft. 
• Season with ½ tsp of salt.
• Add chopped capsicum and cook till capsicum is just soft.

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• Now add cooked and mashed potato & cauliflower. Give a nice mix. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Mix in the stock with the bhaji.
• Let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes so that all the masala are uniformly blended in the bhaji.
• Stir occasionally and add the stock whenever required.
• Add 1 tsp of butter. This will give glaze to the Bhaji.
• Adjust the salt & water if required.
• Cut the pav from the center and apply butter generously to both the side. Roast the inner sides of the pav on a flat tawa to make it crispy.
• Serve the Bhaji with the Pav with chopped onion & lemon.

• Garnish with butter and chopped coriander leaves.