Pav Bhaji

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The very first time I had a taste of Pav Bhaji was in Mumbai nearly 15 years back. When we went on an excursion, we were taken to a beach which had so many fast food stalls with large tawa filled with the bhaji mixture on the sides. It was fun to watch them preparing pav bhaji. I liked the spicy combination of the bhaji with butter toasted pav buns with a dash of lemon and some onions. Yumm is the word. Pav Bhaji is the famous Maharashtrian street food. Bhaji is the spicy gravy made with vegeables while pav is the bread rolls. According to Wiki, pav or pau or pao is the portuguese word for bread. usually pav buns are found in all stores. So just by preparing the bhaji, you can have a taste of the delicious street food at home.

And here comes a much more greater version with home made pav buns. Last week I took a bread baking class. The final class had a white sandwich bread. I prepared the dough earlier before student arrived as I felt that the time taken for the first rise was so long and we couldn’t finish the class on time. We baked the batch I made and student took it home while the dough student made stayed with me. I thought of making some stuffed rolls at first. But since I haven’t done Pav Bhaji at home, I transformed that dough into beautiful pav buns. They were super soft and when fried with butter, wow! I don’t even have a word for that. I made bhaji using oil instead of butter. Didn’t want to ad loads and loads of butter to a single dish. The using of pav bhaji masala is very important as it gives the unique flavour to the bhaji. Even my daughter loved it. Yesterday Pav Bhaji was served for dinner and we were quite happy..

Ingredients:

For The Bhaji:

Potato-3-4 medium sized

Oil-3 tbs

Carrot-1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Beans -1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Onion-1 cup (finely chopped)

Garlic and Ginger paste -2 tbs

Tomato-3

Salt-to taste

Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilly Powder-1 tsp

Garam masala Powder-1/2 tsp

Pav Bhaji Masala-1 tbs

Coriander Leaves- For Garnish

For Serving:

Butter-3-4 tbs

Pav Buns

Finely Chopped Onions

Lemon Wedges

Coriander leaves

Procedure:

1. Heat oil and add onions and ginger garlic paste.

2. Saute for 2 minutes and then add carrots and beans.

3. Saute for 3 minutes and then add finely chopped tomatoes.

4. When tomatoes are half cooked, add the spice powders and salt.

5. Now add enough water and cover the pan. Cook on medium flame until the vegetables are tender.

6. Boil, peel and cube potatoes.

7. Add it to the cooked vegetables.

8. With the help of a potato masher, mash all the ingredients in the pan to for a coarse gravy.

9. Add water if necessary.

10. Let it boil on medium flame for 5 mintues.

11. Remove from flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serving The Pav Bhaji:

1. In a tawa take 2 tsp of butter.

2. Cut the pav buns in to two horizontally.

3. Place two buns with slit side on the tawa at a time.

4. Press the buns and slightly slide it over the tawa for even browning.

5. Turn the buns, leave it there for 20 seconds and trasfer to a serving plate.

6. Place some onions and a lemon wedge.

7. Take some gravy on another plate or on the side of the buns.

8. Sprinkle generous amount of chopped onions and coriander leaves on top.

9. Serve immediately.

Saute onion and ginger garlic paste.

Add in the beans and carrot.

Add tomatoes.

Add the spice powders and salt.

Add enough water and let the vegetables cook.

Add boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.

Mash them up.

Cook until done.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Slice two pav buns  into horizontally.

Add some butter on a tawa.

Place the buns cut side down on tawa and press.

Turn when brown.

Top the bhji with onions and coriander leaves.

Slightly crush the lemon wedge all over the bhaji.

Take a piece of pav, dip it in bhaji and enjoy!!!