Pav Bhaji – one Mumbai Street Food that i missed so much when i left Mumbai. I have lived in almost all major Indian cities, but never ever had a really good Pav Bhaji anywhere. Since I know how to make Pav Bhaji it was not difficult to miss this awesome street snack. But the only issue would be the dearth of good quality pavs…
In Delhi we used to get the worst pavs… Never ever liked it. So I would make Pav Bhaji but end up having them with bread. Atleast the bread were softer than the pav and would soak up the bhaji.
I have fond memories of having Pav Bhaji at Juhu beach since my childhood in Mumbai. I would carefully see the way the pav bhaji vendor would prepare the bhaji on his huge huge heavy tava with lots of Amul butter.
Those days… I so fondly remember them. My evenings especially during vacations would be spent at Juhu Beach, making sand castles, playing in the sea, having pani poori, sev poori, in fact all kinds of chat, seeing the sun set and returning home late in the evening.
I would naturally go into a state of meditation seeing the waves, the setting sun, the twilight and the day turning into night.
I have been making pav bhaji since my teens and even today I make it often. I personally prefer to use the Amul brand of butter, but you could use any brand or even white butter.
Have updated the post with new pics on 29 May 2011. The pav in the pics are all homemade and much much better in terms of softness, lightness and cleanliness. Here is the recipe link of a vegan healthy pav made from Whole Wheat flour. – Indian Pav Recipe.
Nothing better than some homemade bhaji with homemade pav…..
Note: I have garnished the Pav Bhaji with chopped mint leaves as I did not have coriander leaves. Just to add some color in the photopraphs, I have used mint leaves. Pav Bhaji is always garnished with coriander leaves. Also the sprouts that you see with the chopped onions are Alfalfa sprouts.
Pav Bhaji Recipe details below:
ingredients
- 2 medium size potatoes
- 1 cup chopped cauliflower
- 1 cup chopped carrot
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 (half) cup chopped french beans (optional)
- 1 large onion - finely chopped
- 2 to 3 large tomatoes - finely chopped
- 1 capsicum/green bell pepper
- 2 to 3 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 or 2 green chilies, chopped
- 1 or 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
- 1 tsp chilly powder or freshly pounded 1-2 dry deseeded red chilies - the latter works much better and imparts a beautiful orange color to the bhaji
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- amul butter as much you want
- salt
- 12 pavs
method:
- Boil all the vegetables except onions, tomatoes and capsicum in a pressure cooker or microwave oven.
- Mash the vegetables and keep aside.
- Just lightly mash. Don't make a puree.
- In a pan, add butter.
- When the butter melts, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the chopped onions.
- Fry the onions till they become transparent. Now add the ginger-garlic paste.
- Fry till the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste disappears.
- Add chopped green chilies and fry for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes and fry them till they become soft and mushy.
- Add the chopped capsicum. Now add the chilly powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala.
- Mix the dry masalas well. Fry for few minutes till the capsicum become a little soft.
- You don't need to make the capsicum very soft. A little crunch is alright.
- Now add the mashed vegetables.
- Combine the mashed vegetables well with the masala.
- Add some water. Keep on stirring and let the vegetable simmer for 7-8 minutes.
- If the vegetable becomes too dry and then add some more water.
- When done, garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with chopped onions and chopped lime.
- While serving, add amul butter to the bhaji and serve with buttered pavs.
- You can add more butter, if you like it. In fact, with more butter, the pav bhaji tastes very good.
- Slice the pavs .
- On a flat pan, heat some butter.
- When the butter melts, keep the pavs on the melted butter so that it absorbs the butter and fry for a minute.
- If you want to make the pav crisp, fry for a few more minutes. Serve the pavs hot with the bhaji.
my notes
The spice powders can be easily adjusted to suit your taste.
If you don't want to add butter, then you can also make the pav bhaji in oil.
If you don't have Pav Bhaji Masala, then add Garam Masala. I have made Pav Bhaji with Garam Masala only and nobody could tell the difference. In this scenario, then just add some Dry Mango Powder/Amchur to the Pav Bhaji to get that slightly sour taste.
Quantity is 2 tsp garam masala with 1 tsp amchur/dry mango powder. If you are adding this than don't add the 1/2 tsp garam masala mentioned above. That is only meant if you are using Pav Bhaji Masala.
The Pav Bhaji can be had as a meal during lunch or dinner. You could also have it as an evening snack.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, I’ve just read the notes.. Thanks for adding that garam masala can be used as a substitute.. Impatient to try it!:-)
okay. just read my previous comment to you on the amount of garam masala and amchur powder to be added.
Hi, I want to try this recipe badly.. But actually am from Mauritius and I don’t think pav bhaji masala is available here.. What can I use as a substitute for that?
hi diksha, you can add garam masala powder + amchur/dry mango powder as a substitute for pav bhaji masala. for this recipe first just add 1 tsp of garam masala powder + 1 tsp amchur powder. taste the pav bhaji and if you feel the spice and sourness is less, then add some more of the garam masala and amchur powder. if you don’t have amchur powder, then add an extra tomato and towards the end add some lemon juice. you can easily adjust the lemon juice as per your taste.
Hi
Could you help me I accidentally put too many green vegetables and it loooks and tastes greeny what should i do
there is not much you can do. at the most top up with some grated cheese. will change the taste and flavor a bit.
hi,Dassana
i am very fond of your blog Veg Recipes of India , vn ever i get time i go through it , today i read Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe, bt littel problem with it . i work in middle east
‘ kuwait’ we dont get some brand like pav baji, usal pav “massala packs”. so can you please share this secret massala recipes on your blog, if you share i will be great full. because by cooking your recipe we get our INDIAN flavour in this middle east country and so we never fell that we are far from our Motherland,friends & family. it was great to read middeleast recipes like peta bread, Hamous & Fallifal “yes” it is a very good tasty snacks and most popular dish every where we get in kuwait. it is liked by every one rich & poor. i wish our indian should try this in there home vt there family. love to see your blog genaration to come GOD bless you
thanks dominic. at home we all love the middle eastern recipes. since i make these sometimes, these recipes get posted on the blog too. even i wish indians should try middle eastern food.
i only have a punjabi garam masala powder on the blog. haven’t updated with pav bhaji masala or usal masala. this recipe of garam masala is too good. i use this powder for everyday cooking. i even add these to the usals i make at home. i even add this powder to the biryanis and dals i make at home.
i have even added to pav bhaji and the taste is good. so you can make this garam masala recipe and add it to the pav bhaji or usal. for pav bhaji along with this masala, you will need to add amchur powder/dry mango powder also and the turmeric powder and red chilli powder. if you don’t have amchur powder than add some lemon juice instead, but not too much. just to get a hint of sourness in the pav bhaji.
garam masala recipe here: http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/punjabi-garam-masala/
thank Dassana,
for the garam masala recipe, i will try and let you know bt still if you have this usal & pav bhaji masala please put on your blog. thank you one’s again GOD bless you……………..
whenever i make the pav bhaji or goda masala (which is used in maharashtrian dishes like usal, dal veggie dishes etc) i will update on the blog.
thanks a lot , wating for the masala recipe. GOD bless you…………..
I am a student in USA, stay with roomies… and when my cooking turn comes, stun them with your mouth watering recipies
Thanks 
)
thanks a lot snehil.
Hi Dassana,
Your receipe was super duper hit..i made it on weekend and everyone said it is even better than restuarant …thanks a alot…now one more dish is added in my list for guests and that is Dassana’s Pav Bhaji….I am very confident in making it……..thanks to you…
when r u posting my Gatta’s receipe
thanks renuka. am glad… i really feel good when readers try my recipes and they turn out fab. even at my home everybody asks me only to make pav bhaji
the gatta recipe will take time. we will be relocating our house in some time. so may be no posting for some weeks. but i will surely post the recipe after some weeks or a month.
Hello Dassana, today i tried bhaji receipe and it was full of flavours…my 2 yrs old son also liked it and wanted more & more -:)…Thank you so much for the all the sincere efforts & providing us the detailed, step by step pics….with love meeta, bye tc…
thanks meeta. glad to know your 2 year old son liked it. with kids and their picky eating habits, i know how difficult it is for parents at times.
Thanks a lot dassana,yesterday i tried ur veg. briyani recipe & it was super hit…i always scared of making briyani,b’coz i believe this is the most toughest recipe,but u made it so easy for me to prepare my 1st briyani.once again thanks a loooooootttttt………..
thanks bonika
Cool….Unbelieveable receipes…great help….grateful to you and thanks alot
thanks arpita