The best Pav Bhaji - Indian vegetable curry - पाव भाजी
Pav Bhaji is a popular Indian street food dish that originated in the state of Maharashtra. It consists of a spicy and flavorful vegetable medley, typically made with mashed mixed vegetables such as potatoes, peas, carrots, and cauliflower, cooked with a blend of spices, herbs, and butter. The dish is served with buttered and toasted buns called "pav," which are used to scoop up the bhaji (vegetable mash).
Servings 4people
Prep Time 15 minutesmins
Cook Time 40 minutesmins
Total Time 55 minutesmins
Ingredients
Vegetables
3carrots
4potatoes
5cauliflower florets
1/2cupgreen peas
1bell pepper
2medium-sized onions
3clovesgarlic
500gchopped tomatoes
Spices
1tspturmeric add to cooking water
2tspturmeric add to vegetable mixture
1tspchili powder or paste
coriander leavesfresh or dried
2tspginger paste or powder
2tbspPav Bhaji Masala If you are unable to find it, you can prepare it at home by following the recipe provided below.
Pav Bhaji Masala spices ( add this only if you dont have ready made Pav Bhaji Masala)
1tbspcoriander seeds - ground
halftbspcumin
halftbspfennel seeds
halftbspchili flakes or powder
halftspturmeric
1/2tspcloves
1/2tspcinnamon
1tspginger powder
halftspblack pepper
Other
a fewtbspoil
50gbutter
2tablespoontomato paste
Instructions
In a large pot, add the carrots, potatoes, cauliflower florets, green peas, bell pepper. Fill the pot with water and add 1 teaspoon of turmeric. Boil the vegetables until they are soft and cooked.
Once the vegetables are cooked, drain the water and mash them using a potato masher or a fork. Ensure that the vegetables are well mashed, but still have some texture.
In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons of turmeric, chili powder or paste, coriander leaves (fresh or dried), ginger paste or powder, and Pav Bhaji Masala. If you don't have ready-made Pav Bhaji Masala, you can prepare it at home ( recipe below)
In a separate pan, heat a few tablespoons of oil and add chopped onion and garlic, after 4-5 minutes add spice mixture. Cook the spices for a minute to release their flavors.
Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste to the pan. Cook them until they become soft and mushy, forming a thick tomato base.
Combine the vegetable mixture with the spice mixture: Add the mashed vegetable mixture to the pan with the spice and tomato base. Mix everything well to combine the flavors.
Add some butter to the pan and mix it into the vegetable mixture. The butter adds richness and enhances the flavors of the dish.
Let the Pav Bhaji simmer on low heat for a few minutes. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little water to adjust the consistency. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
Once the Pav Bhaji is heated through and well blended, remove it from the heat. Serve it hot with buttered and toasted pav buns, garnished with chopped onion and fresh coriander leaves, drizzle some lemon juice
Notes
The calorie information provided is an approximate estimate for the pav bhaji dish alone, (without including the calories from buns) with a total of 1800 calories. If serving this dish to 4 people, each person would consume approximately 450 calories.