Pav Bhaji is a delicious Indian street food that is made with a blend of vegetables and spices.
As many of us Indians, I grew up eating this delicious street food in my own home and it was always one of my favorites! It’s so flavorful and a great way to get the veggies in. Every family has their own unique way of making this dish, but I personally love mine to be fully blended up; I feel like you really get the flavors to be so well mixed this way. But I know many people like to keep some texture to the dish where you can see and taste the chunks of vegetables, so feel free to really make this your own! This is my take on my mother-in-law’s famous Pav Bhaji recipe and I hope you guys enjoy it!
There are a few important tips to take into consideration when making this to ensure you get the best flavor:
- It’s important to use fresh squeezed lemon juice as the acidity will really help to flavor this
- Use a good quality Pav Bhaji masala for this. I like to use the Everest brand and I know some people make their own blends at home using fresh spices
- The butter will help to add a rich and creamy texture to the dish, so definitely keep that in mind
- Garnishing with cilantro really gives it that finishing touch that you need with a dish like this
Pav Bhaji
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp jeera cumin seeds
- 1/2 onion
- 2-3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 green or Red pepper chopped
- 1 28 oz canned whole peeled tomato drained and blend
- 1/2 Cup peas boiled
- 1/2 potato boiled
- 5-6 cauliflower florets boiled (optional)
- 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala
- 1-2 tsp red chili powder
- 1 fresh lemon
- garnish with coriander
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Add ghee and cumin seeds in a pan on medium heat and let splutter for 30 seconds.
- Roast onion, garlic, red pepper till soft, about 10-12 min
- Blend canned whole peeled tomatoes (drained) and add to veggie mixture in pan, sauté for 3-4 min
- Add peas, salt, 1 tbsp butter (optional), pav bhaji masala and mix together
- Add boiled cauliflower and potato then blend with immersion blender or mash depending on desired texture
- Add salt, add fresh lemon while blending (1/4-1/2 lemon), garnish with coriander and top with a little more lemon juice. Serve hot!
Notes
- You can use 3-4 fresh tomatoes in this recipe as well if you don’t want to use canned
- Using ghee and butter instead of oil will give this dish a richer flavor
- Serve with buttered pav (bread rolls)
- Feel free to add chopped raw onions on top when serving
- I used the Everest brand pav bhaji masala
- Pro Tip: Garnish with shredded Amul cheese for optimal taste
