Mumbai Ki Jaan- Pav Bhaji

In Mumbai we say, Pav bhaji is not just a dish. It is an emotion. This dish is found in every corner and is loved by each and everyone especially during the rainy season. Pav Bhaji -Pav (Bread rolls) and Bhaji (a spicy tangy curry with loads of veggies, butter and love). Bhaji is served with buttered Pav, finely chopped onions, a lemon and freshly chopped coriander leaves. It is my most favorite Mumbai street food. My mom prepares amazing pav bhaji and today I will be sharing her recipe here. Making this is absolutely easy, requires less time and absolutely delicious. Without any further ado, Let's start with the ingredients and the recipe.

Supplies

1. Store bought Pav (Bread rolls).
2. Butter.
3. Oil.
4. Potatoes.
5. Cauliflower.
6. Beet root.
7. Carrots.
8. Green peas.
9. Onions.
10. Tomatoes.
11. Capsicum.
12. Ginger garlic paste.
13. Salt.
14. Turmeric Powder.
15. Spicy red chili Powder.
16. Kashmiri red chili powder.
17. Coriander powder.
18. Cumin powder.
19. Pav bhaji masala.
20. Coriander leaves.
21. Food color (Optional).

Step 1: Prep 1- Chop Veggies

Wash and Roughly chop

1. 4-5 Medium sized Potatoes (750 grams )
2. Approximately 500 grams of cauliflower.
3. 2-3 Carrots (400-500 grams)
4. 1 beet root (200 grams)

Step 2: Cook the Veggies

1. Take a pressure cooker.
2. Add the veggies, 1/3 cup of green peas and 1 1/2 cups of water.
   ( You can use frozen or fresh green peas)
3. Turn on the flame.
4. Add 1tsp salt (As per taste).
5. Add 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder.
6. Add 1/2 tsp spicy red chili powder.
7. Close the lid.
8. Let it cook for 1 whistle on high flame and 3-4 whistles on low flame.
9. Once done, turn off the flame and let it cool down on its own.
   
   (If you do not have a pressure cooker, boil the veggies with salt and spices till they are nicely and completely cooked. To check try mashing the potato with a spoon/fork. If it gets mashed very easily, then the veggies are ready.)

Step 3: Mash and Smash

1. Once the pressure goes off, open the lid.
2. Use a potato masher or a fork and mash every thing very well.
3. You can use an electric mixer too. But make sure the boiled veggies have cooled down completely.
4. You can also use a mixing jar. The purpose it to make a paste kind of consistency.
5. Check the video in the step for reference.

Step 4: Prep 2

Finely chop

1. 2 onions.
2. 2 tomatoes.
3. 3 small sized capsicum.
   
   Chop them as fine as possible but be careful. I used my hand chopper and let me tell you it is a savior. Linking the amazon link here.

Step 5: Oil+Makhan

1. Take a big kadhai (Deep pan).
2. Turn on the flame.
3. Heat it.
4. Once the kadhai is hot, Add 3-4 tablespoons of oil (I have used vegetable oil here.)
5. Then add 3-4 tablespoons of butter.
6. Keep the flame medium and let the butter melt.

Step 6: Onionss

1. Once the butter melts, add 1/2 tablespoon of Jeera (Cumin seeds).
2. Let it pop and sputter.
3. Add the finely chopped onions to it.
4. Let the onions cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Cook it till it gets translucent- golden.
6. Add 1/2 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste.
7. Add 1/2 tsp pf salt.
8. Mix everything well.
9. Salt acts as a catalyst and it speeds up the cooking process.

Step 7: Tomatoes and Capsicum

1. Once the onions are cooked, Add the chopped tomatoes and capsicum one by one.
2. Mix everything well.
3. Add 1/2 tsp salt to speed up the process.
4. Cover and Cook this for 3-4 minutes.

Step 8: Spice It Up!

Add the following spices.

1. 1 tsp of turmeric powder.
2. 2 tsp of spicy red chili powder. (Adjust as per your liking)
3. 1/2 tsp of cumin powder.
4. 1 tsp pf red chili powder.
5. 1 tsp of kashmiri chili powder (Kashmiri chili powder is just for a bit of color.)
6. 4-5 tsp of Pav Bhaji masala (extremely important)
7. Pinch of orange food color (Optional)

Step 9: Cover and Cook

1. Mix everything well.
2. Add 1/3 cup of water.
3. Cover and cook the bhaji for another 5-10 mins on medium low flame.
4. Keep stirring in between to avoid the bhaji sticking to the bottom of the kadhai.

Step 10: Add the Boiled and Mashed Veggies

1. Keep the flame low and add the mashed veggies to the bhaji.
2. Mix everything well.
3. Adjust the salt as per needed,
4. Add 1/2 cup of water(less or more) to adjust the consistency of the bhaji.
5. Cook it for 3-4 minutes more.

Step 11: Ready !

1. Our Bhaji is ready.
2. Add a dollop of butter.
3. 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice.
4. Mix it well.
5. Garnish it with freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Step 12: Butter Pav

1. Now to serve we have to make butter pav (Bread rolls).
2. Slit the pav, Keep one end intact. Refer the picture.
3. Take a flat pan.
4. Heat it.
5. Add butter and let it melt. (Low flame)
6. Cover both the sides of the pav with the butter. (Slightly heat the pav with the butter)
7. Butter pav is ready.

Step 13: Bring It Together!

Our Pav bhaji is absolutely ready. It looks and smells heavenly. Serve the bhaji with some more butter on top because there is no such thing as enough butter, some chopped onions, half a lemon and chopped coriander leaves.
Enjoy making and eating this with your family and friends. I love making as well as eating this. I hope you guys love it too. Do try making this and tell me how it was. I'm sure you will make it again and again like I do.

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Thank you so much for reading!