Pav bhaji recipe | How to make pav bhaji

Pav bhaji recipe – A delicious blend of mix veggies cooked in butter & spices, served with soft butter tasted buns. Pav is an Indian bread and bhaji is mashed vegetables cooked with spice powder. This post will guide you to make the easiest & best pav bhaji that tastes delicious and flavorful.

If you are new to this dish, here is more info

What is pav bhaji?

Pav bhaji is a popular Indian street food that consists of a spicy mix vegetable mash & soft buns. Usually pav bhaji is served with a generous amount of butter topped along with some fresh chopped onions & lemon juice. The butter toasted pav are eaten along with the veggie mash or bhaji.

Apart from pav bhaji, Masala pav, Sev puri, Aloo tikki, Dahi vada, Pani puri, Batata vada, samosa and vada pav and are some of the popular street foods from mumbai.

Usually the street side bhaji is made with more potatoes & onions. Veggies like cauliflower, capsicum & peas are used in little quantities or even skipped.

Street stalls selling mumbai pav bhaji often avoid cauliflower as it turns out to be expensive for them. But while making it at home, it is good to use it as the flavor of bhaji turns out excellent. You can adjust the amount of veggies to suit your taste and liking.

There are many pav bhaji masala powders available in the market which can be used instantly. Each one differs in the flavor and taste. But the basic ingredients almost remain the same. Only the quantity of ingredients change. So you can chose the one you like.

I like my homemade masala powders so I make my own pav bhaji masala powder at home. You can find the link in the recipe card below. I have shared it here in brief.

Make pav bhaji masala

You can also make pav bhaji masala powder by dry roasting the following ingredients. Powder them in a spice jar and use as needed in this recipe.
2 tbsps coriander seeds
1 black cardamom
1 tbsp cumin or jeera
1 tsp pepper corn
1/2 tbsp fennel seeds
3 red chilies
1 inch cinnamon
3 to 4 cloves
1/2 tbsp amchur

For more street foods check
Sandwich recipes
Pakora recipes
Papdi chaat
Gobi manchurian
Easy egg snacks

Pav bhaji recipe

Pav bhaji recipe

Easy pav bhaji – A detailed recipe to make quick & delicious mumbai pav bhaji at home. Bhaji is a thick buttery vegetable mix served with Indian buns – pav.

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Course Main, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword easy, street, street food

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 321 kcal

Author Swasthi

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

Ingredients to make bhaji for pav bhaji

• 1 cup potatoes – 3 medium or 2 large, cubed
• ½ to ¾ cup green peas or matar
• ½ to 1 cup cauliflower or gobi florets
• ½ cup capsicum chopped
• 1 to 2 tbsp butter ( or oil , 2 tbsp. suggested)
• 2 medium onions (¾ cup finely chopped )
• 1 green chili (optional)
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• ½ to ¾ tsp red chili powder less spicy kind
• ¼ tsp turmeric or haldi
• 1 tbsp pavbhaji masala powder (use more if needed)
• 1 large tomato or 2 medium chopped
• ½ tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, optional)
• ½ tsp salt

Ingredients for toasting pav

• 4 to 6 Pav (buns)
• 1 tbsp butter for toasting pav
• ½ tsp pav bhaji masala powder

Ingredients to garnish pav bhaji

• 1 Lemon wedges
• 2 tbsp onions Chopped
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
• 1 tbsp butter

How to make the recipe

Preparation for pav bhaji

1. Add cauliflower, potatoes and peas to a pot or pressure cooker.

2. Pour water to partially cover them and cook until soft or fully done. If cooking in cooker, let it whistle once or twice.
   

3. When the pressure comes down open the lid and mash them well.

Making bhaji

1. Add butter or oil to a pan and heat up. 

2. Next add onions and fry till they turn translucent. 

3. Then add ginger garlic paste and chili. Fry till it gets fragrant. 

4. Fry capsicums for 3 to 4 minutes.

5. Add tomatoes and salt. Fry till tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

6. Next add chili powder and pav bhaji masala powder. 

7. Mix and fry for another 2 minutes or until the raw smell of the mixture goes away.

8. Add boiled & mashed veggies.
9. Pour water just enough to bring to a consistency.
10. Cook for 3 to 5 mins until the bhaji thickens. Add kasuri methi if using and cook until it reaches a desired consistency.

How to make pav bhaji

1. Slit the pav buns horizontally leaving one edge intact.
2. Heat butter on a pan. Open the buns and sprinkle some masala on butter. Place the pav & toast it for a min or two.

3. Garnish with onions, butter and serve it hot or warm.

Recipe Video

Video of pav bhaji recipe

Recipe Notes

The street style dish is mostly made without cauliflower.

If you do not have pavbhaji masala, then replace it with garam masala and more red chili powder. But the flavor will be different.

Nutrition Facts

Pav bhaji recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 321 Calories from Fat 117

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 13g 20%

Saturated Fat 7g 35%

Cholesterol 30mg 10%

Sodium 666mg 28%

Potassium 568mg 16%

Total Carbohydrates 42g 14%

Dietary Fiber 6g 24%

Sugars 8g

Protein 8g 16%

Vitamin A 25.7%

Vitamin C 85%

Calcium 12.9%

Iron 24.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Preparation for pav bhaji recipe

1. Add potatoes, cauliflower, and peas to a pressure cooker or a pot. Add water just enough to cover them partially. You can also use carrots if you like.

2. Pressure cook for 1 to 2 whistles on a medium flame.

3. When the pressure goes off, open the lid. Veggies should be soft cooked. Mash them well.

How to make pav bhaji recipe at home

4. Heat butter or oil in a pan. Butter tastes best.

5. Add onions & fry till they turn translucent.

6. Add ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Fry until it smells good. Take care not to burn.

7. Add bell pepper. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

8. Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Fry till tomatoes turn mushy, soft and pulpy.

9. Add chilli powder and paav bhaji masala powder.

10. Mix well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.

11. Add the boiled & mashed veggies. Add water as needed and stir.

12. Mix well and simmer for a while to bring out the flavor of masala. You can add kasuri methi if you like.

13. When it reaches the desired consistency, add chopped coriander leaves. switch off. Add some lemon juice.

14. Slit the pav horizontally leaving one edge intact. Heat butter on a tawa. Add little masala powder.

15. Place the pav on the butter and toast for 1 to 2 mins.

Garnish with coriander leaves, lemon wedges and chopped onions. Top with butter on hot bhaji. Serve pav bhaji with some butter topped and onion.