Pav Bhaji

Introduction to Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is a popular Indian street food that was first popularized in Mumbai. It’s a mish-mash of delicious veggies and spices that are served with crispy and buttery bread. The bhaji is almost like a dip in this instance. And it is also topped off with plenty of butter!

Essentially, the veggies are boiled and mashed together and cooked with plenty of spices. And you dunk the bread into these veggies and enjoy! Trust me, this is absolutely delicious!

Breakdown of the Ingredients:

Veggies:

Typically, pav bhaji is made with a combination of potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, and peas. Some people also like to add beets! Not only do beets add a nice sweetness, they also add a lovely deep red color to this dish. You can also add whatever other veggies you prefer. Just make sure the veggies aren’t too overpowering! As you can see, the veggies added here are pretty plain in flavor and commonly used in stocks and soups for that reason.

• Potatoes
• Carrots 
• Cauliflower
• Peas

Spices:

This dish doesn’t require many spices since the pav bhaji masala blend is really the star of the show. This is something you can purchase from any of your local Indian grocery store. Spice blends for particular dishes are pretty commonly used in a lot of desi cooking. For most things I like to make my blends from scratch but I make an exception for pav bhaji masala! The only things I add in addition are cumin seeds, kashmiri mirch, turmeric, and some salt.

One of the best things about kashmiri mirch is its bold and bright red tone. It is milder than regular chili powder and adds a richer color. This means you can be more heavy handed with this chili powder and really bring out the infamous red tone you see in street-style pav bhaji.

• Cumin seeds
• Pav bhaji masala
• Kashmiri mirch
• Turmeric
• Salt

Aromatics:

Along with the spices and veggies, you of course need the right aromatics as the base of your dish. Onions, ginger, and garlic are pretty standard ingredients for any tarka so make sure you have these on hand. Also, for tomatoes, feel free to use fresh instead of canned if you prefer. However, I love the taste of tomatoes and I find that canned tomatoes have a stronger flavor than fresh. Plus, canned tomatoes usually add a darker red color to this dish as well and you won’t have to whip your your blender to crush your fresh tomatoes!

Although we already added some spice with the kashmiri mirch, I always add fresh green chillies to my tarka’s too. I used jalapeno for this dish but you can use any green chili you prefer. For example, serrano chilies work well too.

• Oil:
• Butter:
• Ginger + Garlic:
• Red Onions:
• Crushed Tomatoes:
• Jalapeno 

Toppings + Sides:

No pav bhaji is complete with a serving of crispy buttered bread! So don’t be shy with the butter in this dish. We’ll be using it to top of the bhaji too right before serving.

I also love to add lime juice, fresh cilantro, and finely chopped red onions on top of the bhaji too. It makes the whole dish taste super crisp and fresh! I love it.

• lime wedges (for serving)
• cilantro (for garnish)
• red onions (for garnish)
• butter (for serving/garnish)
• bread rolls

Process and Keys to Success:

1. In a pot, boil all of your veggies, 2.5 c water, and some salt for about 20 minutes until tender and cooked well.
2. Mash all veggies and set aside.
3. In a skillet, add in your oil and butter and then your cumin seeds – cook until fragrant (about 20-30 seconds) then add in red onions and sauté until translucent.
4. Add in ginger, garlic, and green chillies and cook for another minute.
5. Then, add in all spices and cook for another 30 seconds or so.
6. Add in your boiled and mashed veggies and mix everything well.
7. Add more water (to preference based on desired consistency – I use about 1-1.5c ) and let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir periodically, and covering with a lid when not stirring.
8. Serve with crispy buttered bread, and top bhaji with lime juice, red onions, and cilantro. I love using brioche bread rolls and cooking with some butter on a skillet until golden brown and crispy.