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5 from 20 votes

Pav Bhaji | Famous Indian Street Food

The most delicious Mumbai favorite street food is this Pav Bhaji. Freshly baked and toasted Pav buns (dinner rolls) and spicy potato based bhaji / curry. The whole plate is served with chopped onions and lemon / lime piece on the side and drizzled with a liberal amount of butter.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Street Food
Cuisine: Indian, Maharashtrian
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 363kcal

Equipment

  • pressure cooker or instant pot
  • pan
  • Griddle
  • Masher

Ingredients

  • 3 Potatoes cubed
  • 2 Carrot cubed
  • ½ cup Green peas fresh or frozen
  • ½ cup Green beans finely chopped
  • 1 Bell Pepper finely chopped
  • 1 large Onion finely chopped
  • 3 large Tomatoes finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon Ginger Garlic paste
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoon Red chili powder adjust based on your preference
  • 3 Tablespoon Pav Bhaji Masala
  • to taste Salt
  • few Cilantro
  • 3 Tablespoon Oil / Butter

To serve -

  • 8 Pav Buns sliced across
  • 1 Onions finely chopped
  • Lemon
  • 2 Tablespoon Butter to toast the buns

Instructions

  • Cube the potatoes and carrots and place it in a bowl along with green peas and beans. Add just enough water to cook the vegetables and cook it in a pressure cooker or Instant pot. I used my instant pot and set it at Manual for 12 minutes. You could also pressure cook them for 3 whistles.
  • Using a masher, mash the vegetables once they are done and keep aside.
  • In a wide pan, heat the butter or oil. I use a combination of oil and butter usually, but this time I used just butter for the flavor.
  • Add the chopped onions and bell pepper and saute them until translucent.
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute.
  • Now add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are mushy. Add the masala powder - turmeric powder, red chili powder and Pav Bhaji Masala and mix well.
  • Fry it for couple of minutes until nice aroma releases.
  • Now add the cooked and mashed vegetables and mix well. Add water to adjust the consistency and mash the vegetables again to combine with the masala.
  • Let the Bhaji simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro.

To serve the Pav Bhaji -

  • Heat a griddle to toast the buns. Apply butter liberally on the sliced buns.
  • Place the sliced buns, butter side down and toast until golden brown.
  • Apply some butter on the side as well and toast.
  • Place the toasted buns on a plate and place the bhaji on the side. Top the bhaji with chopped onions and serve with a lemon slice.

Notes

  • We could use any vegetable of choice along with the potatoes and peas. I use cauliflower and cabbage and beets as well at times.
  • Using butter to make the bhaji makes it very authentic. When we see the street vendors prepare it, they use loads of butter. I have used all butter in the recipe, but not as much as a street vendor.
  • I used Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala for the recipe. Making fresh masala increases the flavor of the dish, We could use any store bought Pav Bhaji Masala as well.
  • I usually make my own Pav Buns, but this time used store bought Hamburger buns. We could use any bun of our choice.

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 676mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 3937IU | Vitamin C: 52mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 12mg