Authentic Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji Recipe

 

This dish is one of my favourites! I can eat it anytime and N number of times! Street food of Bombay…. yes, it’s still Bombay for me. Somehow I can’t get to say Mumbai still. Anyways, this dish is a blend of vegetables and spices served with iconic Mumbai ladi pav. Every nook and corner of Bombay will have a pav bhaji guy. You will find many on Juhu beach. Each one has its own spin to it.
I grew up on this dish! I love the flavours that tantalise the taste buds. Usually many would follow the recipe on the masala box, even I did. But it didn’t come close to what we would eat outside! Eventually after careful observation, yes I would stand next to the vendor (most the street ones) and watch intently, I realised there were 3 ingredients that make this dish! 1. They prepare the bhaji on a giant a tawa (Iron hot plate) on high heat. Heat makes a lot of difference to your food. 2.Garlic!! Yes, the garlic & chilli powder is what gives this dish that edge! 3. Chat Masala – this is what makes you smack your lips!
Taking about Pav Bhaji, I can almost hear the steel spatulas clanking against the tawa every time Pav Bhajiwala mixes ingredients! I love all kinds of sounds that shout cooking! Like the sizzle, frying…..Ooooo so yummmmmmmmmmm! Sorry got distracted…back to the topic. In short, follow this delicious pav bhaji recipe and you are sure to lick your fingers.
INGREDIENTS for PAV BHAJI

• Large Tomatoes (Chopped) – 3-4 nos
• Green Peas (Boiled) – 1 ½ cup
• Large Potatoes (Boiled & Mashed) – 3 nos.
• Tomato Puree – 4 Tbsp (add extra if you like the tangy taste)
• Garlic (Peeled) – 10 approx (mine we tiny size, so took 10)
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 2 tbsp (you can also add few powdered dried red chillies)
• Oil – 1 tsp
• Amul Butter – for cooking (100 gms pack)
• Pav Bhaji Masala – 3-4 tsp (I use Everest Masala)
• Chat Masala – 2 tsp
• Finely chopped Onions & Coriander – For garnish

Instructions:
1. In a mortar and pestle, add garlic, chilli powder and 1 tsp of oil. Now Mash it till it’s a good paste.
2. In a hot deep pan (Kadhai) add 3 TBSp of butter and let it melt. Be careful you don’t want it the butter to burn.
3. Quickly add the garlic paste and sauté it for a minute or so.
4. Now add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cover and cook for 3-5 mins (until the tomatoes are soft).
5. Now add the tomato puree, mix and let it cook. I add the puree because it gives good flavour and consistency to bhaji.
6. Once cooked, add the pav bhaji masala and mix.
7. Then add the cooked/ boiled vegetables (Peas, Cauliflower & potatoes)
8. Use a masher to mash it well. Don’t make it completely mush…leave some pieces of vegetable.
9. Now cover and let it simmer for 5 mins. After that add salt as per taster.
10. At the end add chat masala to it to give that extra punch.
11. Garnish with finely chopped onions and coriander.
12. Serve hot with Mumbai Ladi Pav.

 
Madhur Phadnis,