indan pavbhaji recipes

ingredients

• 2 medium size potatoes
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 (half) cup chopped french beans (optional)
• 1 large onion - finely chopped
• 2 to 3 large tomatoes - finely chopped
• 1 capsicum/green bell pepper
• 2 to 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 or 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
• 1 tsp chilly powder or freshly pounded 1-2 dry deseeded red chilies - the latter works much better and imparts a beautiful orange color to the bhaji
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• amul butter as much you want
• salt
• 12 pavs

method:

Preparing the Bhaji:
1. Boil all the vegetables except onions, tomatoes and capsicum in a pressure cooker or microwave oven.
2. Mash the vegetables and keep aside.
3. Just lightly mash. Don't make a puree.
4. In a pan, add butter.
5. When the butter melts, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the chopped onions.
6. Fry the onions till they become transparent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste.
7. Fry till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste disappears.
8. Add chopped green chilies and fry for a minute.
9. Add the tomatoes and fry them till they become soft and mushy.
10. Add the chopped capsicum. Now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala.
11. Mix the dry masalas well. Fry for few minutes till the capsicum become a little soft.
12. You don't need to make the capsicum very soft. A little crunch is alright.
13. Now add the mashed vegetables.
14. Combine the mashed vegetables well with the masala.
15. Add some water. Keep on stirring and let the vegetable simmer for 7-8 minutes.
16. If the vegetable becomes too dry and then add some more water.
17. When done, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with chopped onions and chopped lime.
18. While serving, add amul butter to the bhaji and serve with buttered pavs.
19. You can add more butter, if you like it. In fact, with more butter, the pav bhaji tastes very good.
To make the buttered pavs:
20. Slice the pavs .
21. On a flat pan, heat some butter.
22. When the butter melts, keep the pavs on the melted butter so that it absorbs the butter and fry for a minute.
23. If you want to make the pav crisp, fry for a few more minutes. Serve the pavs hot with the bhaji.

my notes

The spice powders can be easily adjusted to suit your taste.

If you don't want to add butter, then you can also make the pav bhaji in oil.

If you don't have Pav Bhaji Masala, then add Garam Masala. I have made Pav Bhaji with Garam Masala only and nobody could tell the difference. In this scenario, then just add some Dry Mango Powder/Amchur to the Pav Bhaji to get that slightly sour taste.

Quantity is 2 tsp garam masala with 1 tsp amchur/dry mango powder. If you are adding this than don't add the 1/2 tsp garam masala mentioned above. That is only meant if you are using Pav Bhaji Masala.

The Pav Bhaji can be had as a meal during lunch or dinner. You could also have it as an evening snack.