PAV BHAJI

PAV BHAJI

If you have lived in Mumbai or even visited, you couldn't have resisted tasting what originated as an extremely popular street food, pav bhaji. As the name suggests, it is made up of pav, ( small loafs of bread in Marathi) and 'Bhaji", a mish-mash of assorted vegetables. In Mumbai lingo, "maska pav" points to liberal use of butter in this dish, which is a lip-smacker.

I have included this as a snack, but we often have it as a quick meal.

Ingredients:

• Pavs   8
• Butter 4 tbsp

To prepare the Bhaji:

• Potatoes, boiled and mashed, 1 1/2 cups
• Cauliflower, finely chopped 1 cup
• Green Peas 1/2 cup
• Carrots chopped 1/2 cup
• Capsicum, finely chopped 1/2 cup
• Tomatoes, chopped  2 1/2 cups
• Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp
• Chilli Powder 1 tsp
• Pav Bhaji Masala 1 1/2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic paste 1 tsp
• Butter 4 tbsp
• Salt, to taste

Serve with:

• Onion, large sized, chopped 1
• Lemon Wedges 4
• Coriander chopped 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the cauliflower, peas and carrots till they are soft. Drain out the excess water.
2. Heat the butter in a large pan, add the onion and capsicum and saute for 2 minutes. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the onion softens.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer till the oil separates.
4. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala ,and salt and cook for 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add the boiled vegetables and potatoes. Mash this thoroughly using a potato masher, adding 1/2 cup of water if required. Mash till the vegetables are fully merged together.

For the Pav:

• Slice each pav into two horizontally. Apply butter as required. 
• Heat a large tawa and cook the pav on both sides till they are lightly browned.

Serve the hot bhaji topped with onion and coriander. Serve the hot pav with lemon wedges.