The Best Pav Bhaji Recipe Indian Street Food The Curry Mommy

This is Indian Street Food done right! Grilled butter bread paired with delicious Pav Bhaji Masala is how you can warm the soul of a true desi. Am I right or am I right? Why is this the best? The flavors, texture, and amount of cilantro… It all just comes together beautifully.

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients to steam or boil together.

frozen petite peas - petite variation seems to work best for pav bhajitomatocarrots - can use baby carrots or large carrots. Purple or red carrots add a beautiful end color to the dish without distracting the flavors.russet potatoes - can substitute with white potatoes.cauliflower florets

Ingredients for the gravy

yellow or red onion - cut finely or food processedvine ripened tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes - finely chopped or food processedtomato paste - adds a great tang to the dishturmeric powder - can use fresh grated turmericgarlic - preferabbly fresh and grated/blendedginger - fresh and gratedBombay Bhaji Pav Masala - I love Badshah or Everest Brandsbutter - try it with Amul Butter for an authentic flavorcilantro - stems and leaves are preferredred chili powderlemon/lime wedgeoil, water, salt

Details and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

How to Make Pav Bhaji

Steam/boil the vegetables in an Instant Pot or traditional pressure cooker. Mash the vegetables and set them aside. In a food processor blend the onions. Cook the onions until brown. Chop the tomatoes in the food processor and add them to the pan. Once the tomatoes have cooked through, add the spices and tomato paste. Mix well and let it cook for a few minutes while continuing to mix. Slowly combine the mashed vegetables into the gravy, in the wok. Mix it well, let it simmer for about 5 minutes, and then add extra pav bhaji masala, butter, and salt after a taste test. Serve with grilled butter bread.

Equipment needed

Pressure Cooker or Large Pot - to steam/boil the vegetablesLarge Wide Pan/Wok - to make the dish

Substitutions

Carrots- Add eggplant if you prefer more vegetables. Pav Bhaji Masala- Use garam masala

Pair it with…

How to make the Pav

Storage and Reheating

Freezing- Store the cooled Bombay-style pav bhaji in pre-labeled Ziplock bags and lay them flat in the freezer until they are solid ice. After it is frozen, you can place it anywhere in the freezer for better storage. Defrosting- Take it out of the freezer and either let it sit at room temperature for about 8 hours or in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Reheating on Stove Top - Place a pan on the stove and heat equal parts oil and unsalted butter. Let it melt. Add the defrosted bhaji to the pan and slowly mix in some water to reach the consistency you prefer.