Pav Bhaji Masala | Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji Recipe

Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe

I adore chaat recipes, to me they fit into the best snack food category that is spicy, hot and filling. From Dhoklas, sev puri, pani poori, misal pav, ragda patties to pav bhaji I love them all. I still remember during college days how we used to plan to go to the chaat shops in a nearby mall for evening snack. One of the best excuses if you study in an evening college ;-). Although I love and miss chaat so much my husband on the other hand does not enjoy chaat, the other day I was so tempted to make pav bhaji and went ahead with my usual recipe, a no fail eggless pav buns recipe or dinner rolls that comes perfectly every time. The buns are soft and spongy and are quite light to touch but filling with a bowl of spicy pav bhaji masala. I tried to incorporate my own freshly ground pav masala. You can very well use store bought pav bhaji masala for a quicker version. 

Mumbai style Pav Bhaji Recipe

How to make Pav Bhaji masala 

Pav Bhaji masala recipe 

PAV BHAJI MASALA RECIPE | MUMBAI PAV BHAJI MASALA

Recipe - Own
Serves - 4 generously 
Prep time- 10 mins
Cook time - 20 mins
Serving suggestion - Soft Pav buns/ Ladi pav

Ingredients

To Pressure cook 

Potatoes - 2 large 
Cauliflower - 1/2 bunch around 15-18 florets
Carrot - 1 large, finely chopped
Beans - 15, finely chopped
Green peas - 1/2 cup

To roast & grind

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch piece
Cardamom - 2 green & 2 black
Cloves - 2 
Cumin / Jeera - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Corrinder seeds - 2 tsp
Dry red chilli - 4 no
Peppercons - 5 no
Dry mango powder/ amchur powder - 1- 1 and 1/2 tsp
Kasthoori methi - 1 tsp

For the Curry

Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Tomato - 2 large, boiled, peeled and mashed
Onion - 1 large finely chopped, reserve 4 tbsp to garnish
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Capsicum - from 1/2 large capsicum chopped (optional, I skipped it)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped

Method

1. In a dry pan add in the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, corriander seeds, peppercons, dry red chilli and saute for 40 seconds in low flame. Transfer to a plate to cool down.
2. Using a mixer powder these cooled ingredients along with kasthuri methi and dry mango powder into a fine powder. 
3. You can sieve the powder to make it more fine, you will get around 2 tbsp of pav bhajji masala, set aside.
4. In a pressure cooker add the vegetables - potatoes, peas, cauliflower, carrot & beans. Add one cup water and 1/2 tsp of salt pressure cook for 3-4 hissels. Switch off once the pressure releases,open the lid and mash the veggies using a wooden laddle. Set aside.
5. In a wide pan heat butter 2 tbsp and oil, splutter the cumin seeds, tip in the onions and saute until transparent (make sure not to brown them), now add in the freshly ground ginfer garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
6. Now add in the boiled, peeled and mashed tomatoes and cook covered for 2 minutes until the tomato cooked well.
7. Add in the boiled and mashed veggies along with the water and the freshly ground pav bhaji masala, mix well and cook covered for 3 minutes.
8. Now add in 1 tbsp of butter and using the wooden ladle mash further to get a thick curry. 
9. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until the oil separates and garnish with corriander leaves.
10. Just before serving drizzle little lemon juice and chopped raw onions and serve along with soft pav buns.

Pav Bhaji Masala

Pav Bhaji Masala

COOKS WISDOM

TIP 1

1. You could alternately use store bough pav bhaji masala, add 1and 1/2 tbsp of pav bhaji masala for the proportions mentioned.

TIP 2

2. This pav bhaji masala is not too spicy you can add some red chili powder or green chillis for more spiciness.

TIP 3

3. I have not used capsicum, its your personal preference to use.

TIP 4

4. Make sure that you use a wooden ladle to mash the vegetables while the curry is simmering, it adds loads of flavor.

TIP 5

5. You would also directly tip in the kashtoori methi and amchur powder to the curry. 


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