Easy Mumbai Street Style Pav Bhaji

Ingredient list

Bhaji

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tomatoes(chopped)
• 1 onion
• 1/4 cup peas
• 1/2 Capsicum
• 2 potatoes(to be boiled and mashed)
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 1/2 tsp bhaji masala
• 2 tsp kasuri methi leaves
• 3 tbsp coriander leaves
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 drops of red food color(optional)
• 1/2 cup water(to adjust consistency)

Toasted Pav

• 8 pav
• 4 tsp butter
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp bhaji masala
• 4 tsp coriander leaves

History

In this short video, Hebbars Kitchen shows us how to make this popular Indian street food from the comfort of our own homes. Pav bhaji is a very popular street food in India due to its taste, and nutritional value. This dish has its origin dating back to the 1850’s. Traditionally made from mashed vegetables cooked in a tomato-onion gravy and served with buttered rolls, this dish has seen a lot of variation throughout the years. India is lined with bhaji stalls, with each serving the dish with their own twists. Variations include and are not limited to: Cheese pav bhaji, Paneer pav bhaji, and Mushroom pav bhaji. 

Video Overview

In an attempt to promote Indian vegetarian cooking, Hebbars Kitchen rolls out a more traditional and simple recipe, Okay, with maybe just a smidge bit more butter. 

There is beauty in simplicity, and Hebbars Kitchen showcases this well. You can almost smell the tempting aroma of the bhaji masala through your screen. With simplicity comes an importance of technique, and Hebbars Kitchen isn’t short on them. 

Hebbars Kitchen opens by sautéing the vegetables. Adding salt early on is an important step in sweating vegetables as it aids in drawing out the moisture from them, quickly speeding up the process, and intensifying the flavors. At 0:54, she cooks the spices in butter. This is called “blooming” and it helps intensify the spices significantly. She uses butter on a low flame, as she understands that butter has a low smoke point. Butter burns significantly faster compared to most oils. Armed with this knowledge, Hebbars Kitchen ends up with an elegant and filling dish. At the end, she shows the tantalized audience the best way to eat and experience this dish: with your hands!

Where do I get these?

Capsicum: Found in most groceries, also known as bell peppers

Bhaji Masala: Hebbars Kitchen has their own recipe here! Also found in Asian groceries. Garam masala is a worthy substitute. At least one of garam masala or bhaji masala should be available in most Asian groceries. 

Kasuri methi leaves: Found in most Asian groceries, also known as Fenugreek leaves.