Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a popular snack in most metropolitan areas in India. Hot Bhaji (a mixture of various vegetables - boiled, mashed and cooked with a spicy masala) is served with butter fried pav in a flat dish with ample amount of butter on top.

The Bhaji is garnished with diced onions and a slice of lemon.

Ingredients:

For Bhaji:

• 2 cups chopped mixed vegetables (beans, carrots, cauliflower, potota, bottle gourd etc.)
• ½ cup shelled green peas
• 1 capsicum chopped fine
• 2 onions chopped fine
• 2 tomatoes chopped fine
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp pav bhaji masala
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ¼ tsp. turmeric powder
• ½ tsp. sugar
• salt to taste
• ½ tsp. each ginger grated, garlic crushed
• 1 tsp Lemon juice
• For garnishing: coriander chopped, onion chopped, small pieces of lemon and dollop of butter

For Pavs:

• 8 pavs (square soft buns)
• Butter for roasting pavs

Method:

For Bhaji:

• Pressure cook mixed vegetables and peas till well done. Mash them coarsely after draining.
• Heat butter in a pan. Add crushed ginger garlic, chopped onion, chopped capsicum and chopped tomatoes. Fry till very soft.
• Add Pav Bhaji Masala, chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, sugar and fry further for 2-3 minutes.
• Now add mashed vegetables to it.
• Simmer till gravy is thick, stirring and mashing pieces with masala, in between.
• Add lemon juice, stir.
• Garnish with chopped coriander, chopped onion, lemon pieces and a dollop of butter.

For Pavs:

• Slit pavs horizontally, apply butter (as desired) and roast open on a griddle till hot and soft with the surface crisp on both sides.
• Serve hot with bhaji.

Do You Know?

A majority of the Indian bread is made of wheat and can be broadly divided into three kinds: bread that is roasted on a griddle, bread that is fried and bread that is baked.

The most popular form of the Indian bread is the roasted form, known as Chapati/Roti.

Parathas and Puris are the examples of breads which are shallow fried/fried in fat after being rolled out in different sizes.

Naans and pavs are baked in modern electric ovens or the Indian styled ovens called tandoor. The dough for the these is leavened before being baked in the ovens or tandoors.