Pav
Bhaji is a spicy chaat originated from Maharashtra and famous in Mumbai but thoroughly
relished in all parts of India. Though it technically falls under the chaat
category, we can have it happily for a healthy meal slightly mellowing down on
the butter and spices; it makes a wholesome meal with plenty of vegetables and
bread to compliment. Pav bhaji initially
seemed to have been invented for the mill workers to enable them to finish
lunch quicker in a short break’s time; pav (the bun) replaced rotis and side
dishes amalgamated into a single curry called bhaji. Bhaji is simply the blend
of lot many vegetables and condiments while pav can be made at home or be store
bought.
Serves: 2-4
Preparation Time: 15
minutes
Cooking Time: 30
minutes
Ingredients:
1.
Pav (Buns) – 2 packs of 4
2.
Potato – 2
3.
Tomato – 4
4.
Carrot – 2
5.
Beans – 10
6.
Green peas – 1 cup shelled
7.
Capsicum – 1
8.
Cauliflower florets – 1 cup (if in season)
9.
Onion – 2
10.
Green chili – 1
11. Lemon – 1
12.Coriander leaves chopped – 2
tbsp
13.Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
14.Pav bhaji masala – 3 tbsp
15. Chili powder
– 1 tsp
16.Salt to taste
17. Butter –
3 tbsp
18.Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
19. Sugar – 1 tsp
Method:
Step 1:
Boil the potatoes, peel and mash them.
Step 2:
Chop the carrots, beans, cauliflower roughly and blanch them till soft.
Step 3:
Chop finely one large onion, tomatoes, capsicum and green chili.
Step 4:
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a pan and splutter cumin seeds in it; add ginger
garlic paste, green chili, onion and sauté until soft. Add tomatoes and sauté for
another 2 minutes.
Step 5:
Mash the tomatoes and onion with a potato masher and add capsicum to it. Sauté for
3 minutes and again mash the mixture.
Step 6: Add the mashed potatoes and other vegetables into the pan and keep
mashing and cooking until all vegetables become unrecognizable (Some people
even puree it, but mashing is the typical roadside recipe of bhaji).
Step 6:
Now add pav bhaji masala, chili powder, salt as per taste, sugar, another blob of butter
and mix well to cook in simmer for 5 more minutes.
Step 7: Chop coriander, one onion and cut lemon into 8 pieces.
Step 8: Garnish with chopped onion & coriander; serve along with buttered and
roasted pav and lemon.
TIPS:
*The bhaji
flavour is lifted mainly by the pav bhaji masala and so pick a fresh and good
one from store, I use ‘Everest’.
*If pav
buns are not available the bhaji goes equally well with normal bread slices;
particularly people who avoid maida can relish with wheat breads or multi grain
breads.
*Yellow
peas can be soaked overnight, boiled and be used in place of green peas; that
gives a slightly different taste but that is very good too.
*Variety
of other vegetables can be camouflaged by this recipe to feed it to cranky kids
and grown-ups; I add beetroot and Brinjal.
*Roadside recipe includes a bit of color to give that red attraction.
