Mumbai Masala Pav and Bhaji Recipe
Pav Bhaji is basically a street food recipe from the state of Maharashtra; a combo of bread and spicy masala prepared with Bhaji masala. It is mainly a tea time snack but now it is served at breakfast, as a starter or even the main course for dinner
Ingredients
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 20 minutes
- Servings 2
- Ingredients main ingredients for masala pav:
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 medium capsicum
- 2 boiled potatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped beans
- 2 tbsp chopped carrot
- 4 tbsp peas
- 1 tsp coarse ginger garlic paste
- 2 green chillies optional
- teaspoon ½cumin
- teaspoon ¼turmeric powder
- teaspoon ½red chili powder
- 2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala
- 2 tablespoon butter
- cup ½water
- salt to taste
- 4 pav
- 1 tablespoon to 2butter for roasting pav
- For garnishing
- 1 small onion
- 1 small lemon
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
Instructions
- 1. Finely chop 1 medium onion, 2 medium tomatoes, and 2 boiled potatoes. Boil the beans, carrot and peas in a little hot water.
- 3. Heat a shallow pan or a tawa or griddle. Add the 2 tbsp butter to the pan. You can use oil instead of butter but the end result wouldn’t be the same
- 4. Next add ½ tsp cumin seeds and let them splutter till the flavour wafts. Then add the coarse ginger-garlic-green chilies paste.
- 5. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté till they are translucent. Now add finely chopped tomatoes. Stir and sauté for a few minutes and then add the boiled peas, beans and carrot.
- 6. Stir till it gets to a mushy state and add the boiled and diced potatoes.Then add 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 2 tsp pav bhaji masala.
- 7. With a masher, mash everything nicely to make a homogenous mixture. A pav bhaji masher is available in the market but somehow I could never buy it. Instead I use my wooden buttermilk churner which does the job equally well.
- 8. Add water and a salt to taste. Let the masala simmer on a low flame. Once the consistency of the bhaji is thick you can turn off the gas.
- To serve the Masala Pav: 1. Heat the tawa or griddle and smear butter generously on it.Cut the Pav bread and place them on the butter.Toast the pav on both sides and add more butter if you like.
- 2. Open the Pav and smear the masala evenly with a spoon or spatula. Repeat with the rest of the pav.Masala Pav is ready to be served.
- 3. For the plating you can add finely chopped onions, lemon wedges and garnish the bhaji with coriander leaves. Sprinkle some grated cheese as kids would love that.
- 4. In my family we all eat lots of curry or vegetables and hence I serve the Mumbai Masala Pav with the Bhaji alongside to dip into and savour more of the flavours
- 2. Simultaneously, make a coarse paste with the ginger, garlic and green chillies. If kids are going to eat then skip the green chillies. I make a paste in my handy stone mortar and pestle.
