Pav Bhaji recipe | How to make Pav Bhaji

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Pav Bhaji recipe | How to make Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is the most popular and widely liked Indian street food or you can even say it is the king of fast foods. This recipe originates from western Maharashtra especially Mumbai. This popular street food comprises of two parts, one is the pav which means bread rolls or burger buns. And, another part is Bhaji in the Marathi language which means spiced Vegetables which is boiled and mashed.

Pav bhaji has an iconic history, making it a hugely famous dish. Pav bhaji recipe was originated in Mumbai for the workers of a textile mill. Since at those time workers used to work for longer hours and as a meal they were served with the combination of lots of veggies which can provide them with all necessary nutrients. And also it is a tummy-filling meal when had with toasted pav. 

Pav bhaji has all the required nutrients coming from all the vegetables used. Street vendors usually use only onions, tomatoes and potatoes for making bhaji. They avoid using other healthy and nutritious veggies like cauliflower, green peas, carrots, capsicum, cabbage, etc as it makes a little expensive for them.

How to make Pav bhaji recipe

For making bhaji, first of all, boil the veggies of your choice or all the veggies mentioned above and then mash and cook. Till then, saute ginger garlic paste and onions in lots of butter and then add the dry spices and boiled veggies. Cook all the ingredients together for 15 to 20 minutes. The key ingredient for the beautiful flavour of bhaji is ‘Pav bhaji masala‘. 

There is a variety of ready pav bhaji masala already available in markets. The basic ingredients of pav bhaji masala in all the brands are almost the same it just varies in the quantity. You can use any brand of pav bhaji masala as per your preference. I prefer using Everest pav bhaji masala.

Pav bhaji is usually served with a generous amount of butter topped with sliced onions and coriander leaves with lemon juice. The butter toasted pav tastes delicious with the spiced and mashed bhaji.

Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments. I love to hear from you.

If you enjoy this hearty recipe, be sure to check out my Blog for more! 

Pav Bhaji Recipe Card

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5 from 1 vote

Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji - the most popular and widely liked Indian street food consisting of spicy and tangy bhaji and butter toasted pav.

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time30 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Brunch, Main Course, Snacks

Cuisine: Indian street food, Maharashtrian, Mumbai street food

Keyword: Pav bhaji recipe

Yield: 4

Calories: 300kcal

Materials

Veggies used for making Bhaji

• 1 cup Cauliflower florets
• 1 cup Fresh green peas use frozen, if fresh not available
• 2 medium Potatoes cubed
• 1 cup Carrot cubed

Other ingredients

• 1 Capsicum finely chopped
• 2 medium Onions finely chopped
• 2 to 3 medium tomatoes finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste or grated
• 2 to 3 Green chillies finely chopped or grated
• 3 tbsp Butter extra butter is added at last while serving
• 1 tsp Jeera/ Cumin seeds
• Salt per taste
• ½ tsp Haldi/ Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Lal mirch powder/ Red chilli powder
• 2 tbsp Pav Bhaji masala
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• Salt per taste
• Lemon juice
• ½ cup Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped
• Water to get semi-thick consistency

For toasting Pav

• 8 to 10 fresh Pav
• 2 to 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Pav bhaji masala

For serving Pav Bhaji

• Extra butter for topping on bhaji
• 1 Onion finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tbsp of freshly chopped Coriander leaves
• Few Lemon wedges

Instructions

For Pressure cooking recipes:

• Rinse the veggies you want for making bhaji - here in this recipe I am using 2 large potatoes, 1 carrot, Cauliflower florets, Green Peas. Rinse all the veggies and peel off the skin and chop into cubes.
• Now add all the veggies in a pressure cooker with 2 or 2.5 cups of water.
• Add half a tsp of salt or pinch of salt.
• Pressure cook the veggies for 4 whistles on medium flame.
• After 4 whistles, when the pressure settles down, open the cooker lid and check if the veggies are cooked completely.

For making bhaji for pav bhaji recipe:

• Place a thick bottom wide kadhai on the gas and heat 3 tbsp of butter in the kadhai.
  
• When the butter melts, add cumin seeds in the kadhai and saute till it splutters.
  
• Add finely chopped onions in the kadhai and stir and cook till it turns a translucent and golden brown in colour.
  
• Then, add a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste or grated and finely chopped green chillies in the pan and saute till the garlic leaves its raw smell.
  
• Now, add finely chopped tomatoes in the pan.
  
• Mix all the ingredients nicely in the kadhai and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
• Add half tsp of salt in the pan, it helps in cooking tomatoes quickly.
  
• When tomatoes are cooked perfectly, add in chopped capsicum or bell peppers.
  
• Saute the capsicum for 2 to 3 minutes and leave it half cooked as it feels crunchier while chewing.
  
• Then, add haldi, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, and garam masala.
  
• Mix all the dry spices with the veggies nicely and add an extra tsp of butter at this stage. This way, spices get cooked in butter and a nice aroma of butter comes from the veggie.
  
• After a few minutes, add the boiled and cooked veggies from the pressure cooker and add all the vegetable stock. Do not discard the vegetable stock. 
  
• Mix the boiled veggies with the spiced onion-tomato in the pan.
  
• Now, with the help of a potato masher or a large slotted spoon, mash the veggies in the pan. Mash the veggies till you reach the desired consistency.
  
• Finally, add salt as per your taste and freshly chopped coriander leaves.
  
• Spicy and tasty bhaji is ready to be served hot with butter toasted pav.
  

For toasting pav:

• Heat a tawa/ Griddle on medium flame and add a tsp of butter on the tawa.
  
• When butter starts to melt, add a fat pinch of pav bhaji masala in the butter and mix well.
  
• Now place the pav, slit in between, over the tawa and rotate the pav all over the tawa so that it absorbs butter.
  
• Flip the pav and toast it from the other side as well.
  
• When the pav is roasted from both the sides remove it in a plate.
  

For serving Pav bhaji:

• Place a ladleful of bhaji in a plate or bowl, and add a tsp of butter over the bhaji.
  
• Then, on the side of the plate, place 2 or 3 tbsp of finely chopped onion, finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges.
  
• Instead, of keeping it on the side you can also sprinkle the onions, coriander leaves and lemon juice on the bhaji.
  
• And also place two or more butter toasted pav on the plate and serve hot or warm.
  

Step by step instructions:

For pressure cooking veggies:

1. Rinse the veggies you want for making bhaji – here in this recipe I am using 2 large potatoes, 1 carrot, Cauliflower florets, Green Peas. Rinse all the veggies and peel off the skin and chop into cubes.
2. Now add all the veggies in a pressure cooker with 2 or 2.5 cups of water.
3. Add half a tsp of salt or pinch of salt.
4. Pressure cook the veggies for 4 whistles on medium flame.
5. After 4 whistles, when the pressure settles down, open the cooker lid and check if the veggies are cooked completely.

For making bhaji for pav bhaji recipe:

1. Place a thick bottom wide kadhai on the gas and heat 3 tbsp of butter in the kadhai.
2. When the butter melts, add cumin seeds in the kadhai and saute till it splutters.
3. Add finely chopped onions in the kadhai and stir and cook till it turns a translucent and golden brown in colour.
4. Then, add a tbsp of ginger-garlic paste or grated and finely chopped green chillies in the pan and saute till the garlic leaves its raw smell.
5. Now, add finely chopped tomatoes in the pan.
6. Mix all the ingredients nicely in the kadhai and cook till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
7. Add half tsp of salt in the pan, it helps in cooking tomatoes quickly.
8. When tomatoes are cooked perfectly, add in chopped capsicum or bell peppers.
9. Saute the capsicum for 2 to 3 minutes and leave it half cooked as it feels crunchier while chewing.
10. Then, add haldi, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, and garam masala.
11. Mix all the dry spices with the veggies nicely and add an extra tsp of butter at this stage. This way, spices get cooked in butter and a nice aroma of butter comes from the veggie.
12. After a few minutes, add the boiled and cooked veggies from the pressure cooker and add all the vegetable stock. Do not discard the vegetable stock. 
13. Mix the boiled veggies with the spiced onion-tomato in the pan.
14. Now, with the help of a potato masher or a large slotted spoon, mash the veggies in the pan. Mash the veggies till you reach the desired consistency.
15. Finally, add salt as per your taste and freshly chopped coriander leaves.
16. Spicy and tasty bhaji is ready to be served hot with butter toasted pav and extra butter on bhaji.

For toasting pav:

1. Heat a tawa/ Griddle on medium flame and add a tsp of butter on the tawa.
2. When butter starts to melt, add a pinch of pav bhaji masala in the butter and mix well.
3. Now place the pav, slit in between, over the tawa and rotate the pav all over the tawa so that it absorbs butter.
4. Flip the pav and toast it from the other side as well.
5. When the pav is roasted from both the sides remove it in a plate. 

For serving Pav bhaji:

1. Place a ladleful of bhaji in a plate or bowl, and add a tsp of butter over the bhaji.
2. Then, on the side of the plate, place 2 or 3 tbsp of finely chopped onion, finely chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges.
3. Instead, of keeping it on the side you can also sprinkle the onions, coriander leaves and lemon juice on the bhaji.
4. And also place two or more butter toasted pav on the plate and serve hot or warm.

Few Suggestions for making pav bhaji:

1. Eat and check the taste of carrots, it should be sweet and fresh. It adds a nice colour and taste to bhaji.
2. Try to avoid adding artificial colours. Carrots will add enough orange colour to the bhaji. 
3. You can mash the veggies fine or leave it little coarse depending on your likings.
4. Lastly, serve the spicy pav bhaji hot.

Finally, I would like to share my other Curry recipes from my blog. This includes Dum aloo recipe, Paneer kadhai recipe, Mushroom kadhai gravy recipe, Matar Jhol recipe, spicy misal pav recipe, matar ke chole recipe, etc. Also, go through our Indian bread section for a variety of rotis like Butter naan recipe, palak paratha recipe, kachori recipes and thalipeeth recipe. 

In addition to this, do visit my other recipes collection from my blog like Main course collection, Breakfast collection, Desserts collection, etc.

Did you try this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #fop.flavoursonplate.

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