Do you have a favourite Indian street food? There are many out there. It is never easy to select one. One such delicious Indian street food is pav bhaji. This most lip-smacking street food is favorite of many people of Mumbai. A homemade pav bhaji recipe will bring the flavours of street food home. This popular Indian street food includes mashed veggies and spicy masala served with butter pavs. If you are searching for easy and quick ideas for dinner, you must try them.
About pav bhaji
Have you ever experienced the bliss of the first bite of Pav Bhaji, a combination of two different dishes that are served together? Pav is soft bread buns & bhaji is the thick gravy made with mashed veggies, spice powders, and lots of butter! When you prepare it at home, you will scoop out the bhaji with one piece of butter-toasted bread roll with some chopped coriander and onion!
Street style vs. home style
The street-style pav bhaji is made using more onions and potatoes. Veggies such as green bell pepper, peas, and cauliflower are skipped or used in very little quantity. Street stalls in Mumbai selling it often avoid using cauliflower because it is a bit costly. But while making it at home, you can add any veggies that will enhance its taste.
Preparation
Required ingredients: To prepare pav bhaji at home, you will need some essential pav bhaji ingredients.
To prepare the pav, you will need:
You can buy pav from nearby shops. Yet you will have to prepare the bhaji at your home. You can also use hotdog or burger buns too!
To prepare the bhaji, you will need:
Vegetables: The pav bhaji you get on the street is mainly made of potato, peas, onion, tomato, and green bell pepper. They form the base. You can include vegetables such as carrots, beetroot, and cauliflower.
Tips: Add half a green bell pepper, and do not add cauliflower. This is because adding cauliflower and a lot of bell pepper will alter and dominate the bhaji’s flavour. Add beetroot. It will impart a colour. A lot of people relish the deep reddish-orange colour of the bhaji. Beetroot will help with it and will not alter the taste. Adding carrot will make your bhaji a bit sweet, so you need to use more spice powders.
Butter: When you cook the vegetables and spices in butter, it will impart a lovely flavour. It will make the bhaji buttery and melt-in-mouth. So try not to skip it. Do not use too much butter. But add at least two tablespoons of unsalted butter to have the perfect taste. If you want to make the bhaji more delectable and more decadent you can add more as you like.
Masala: A distinctive flavour is added to the mashed vegetables because of pav bhaji masala. To get the right taste, this spice powder is a must. If you are unsure how to make pav bhaji masala at home, you can buy it from the store. You can also use garam masala, coriander powder, and jeera powder in a ratio of 1:1:0.5, respectively.
Kashmiri red chilli powder: It is a colour with less heat.
Ginger and garlic: Use fresh ginger garlic paste. You can grate ginger and garlic and use them as a paste.
Lemon juice: It is added two times. Once while preparing the bhaji and the second time before you serve.
Kasuri methi: Add them directly to melted butter. It will release an excellent flavour. Add it after making the bhaji or while serving it.
Prepare onion tomato masala.
Heat one tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add one cup of chopped onions. Saute till they become translucent. Add one tablespoon of ginger garlic paste and one green chilli. Fry till there is a good smell. Be careful not to burn them. Add half a cup of chopped green bell pepper. Fry for two to three minutes. Add a three-fourth cup of chopped tomatoes and one teaspoon of salt. Fry till these tomatoes turn soft and pulpy Add one teaspoon of chilli powder. Add one to one and a half of the best pav bhaji masala. Mix them. Fry it for three minutes.
Make bhaji:
Preparation needed to make pav bhaji
Peel and chop four medium-sized potatoes and two small carrots into small cubes. Peel one small beetroot and chop it as finely as possible. Use fresh peas or soak one-fourth of dried green peas for three hours in hot water.
Finely chop two medium-sized red onions and two large tomatoes. You can also grate them. Use round, red, and well-ripened tomatoes.
Grate half an inch of ginger and one large or two small garlic cloves. Take half a green bell pepper and finely chop it.
Steps to make the perfect pav bhaji
Put chopped potatoes, beetroot, carrot, and a three-fourth cup of frozen peas in a pressure cooker. Add one teaspoon of salt and water just to the level of the veggies. Close the lid and cook up to five whistles.
Allow the pressure to release naturally. Mash all cooked vegetables. Use a potato masher. Mash them well so that you only see some tiny pieces. If you like to have a smoother texture, mash them more.
In a deep bottom pan, heat one tablespoon of unsalted butter and one teaspoon of oil. Keep the heat low. It will prevent the butter from getting burned. Allow the butter to melt.
Add two teaspoons of Kashmiri red chilli powder, a pinch of hing, and two tablespoons of Kasuri methi. Saute and cook on low heat for almost one minute.
Then add in the two finely chopped onions. In medium heat, sauté them until they become soft.
Add in one-inch grated ginger and one large grated garlic clove. Use two teaspoons of ginger garlic paste. Saute them until the raw smell goes away.
Then add in the two finely chopped tomatoes. Add one-fourth teaspoon of salt to cook it more quicker. Continue to cook them until they become very soft and mushy. Use the back of your spatula to mash it more.
Add two teaspoons of pav bhaji masala. Mix them. Cook it for five minutes until it becomes a mass and begins to leave the pan.
Add in half finely chopped green bell pepper with some water. Cook until it becomes soft and squashy.
Finally, transfer the mashed veggies. Add one cup of water before adding them. It will stop them to stick to the pan.
Add one more tablespoon of butter, half a lemon juice, and chopped coriander. Mix well. Taste and add red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, or salt if needed. Give some time for the flavours to settle in, and you will get the actual taste.
Toast pav
On low heat, heat a pan. Apply half to one tablespoon of butter. Once the butter melts, add a little pav bhaji masala and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Use a spatula to spread them. If you wish, you can include some Kasuri methi.
If you use burger buns or dinner rolls, slice them into two halves. You can use hotdog buns. Split them in between and then cut them into halves. If you use bread slices or already sliced burger buns, directly use them.
Place them on your heated pan until they turn golden or deep brown roast them. You will like them a bit crispy. If you want, you can also toast the other side.
Repeat this process for the rest of the pavs. Add more butter, red chilli powder, and pav bhaji masala.
What are some tips for making pav bhaji perfect every time?
After you cook the bhaji, let it rest for at least half an hour before you serve it. The spices will all come together quite nicely with time, and the flavour of the bhaji will also become enhanced! Follow these tips, and you will notice a difference in taste and colour! You can easily make this popular street food at home by using basic cooking skills to put together these ingredients!
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