Pav Bhaji

       Pav-Bhaji is a very popular dish in India and possibly the most popular in Mumbai. It originated in Mumbai as a quick meal for the labourers. Pav translates to bread in Marathi and Bhaji is simply a potato based mix vegetable curry. Every city in India has their own variations on the Bhaji. Being a Mumbai-ite, I naturally love its version the most.

Here is my take on the famous Mumbai Pav Bhaji.

Ingredients:

• 4 Medium Sized Potatoes
• 1/2 Medium Sized Cauliflower
• 2 Green Bell Peppers
• 1 Onion
• 1.5 Cups Green Peas
• 2 cloves of Garlic finely chopped
• About 3 cups Tomato paste/puree
• 2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• Finely chopped Cilantro
• Salt to Taste
• Butter
• 6-8 French Dinner Rolls or Pav

Instructions:

• Boil the green peas, florets of cauliflower and green bell peppers. I prefer to use the Pressure Cooker to boil these vegetables, but we can use any steamer.
• Once boiled and soft, mash all these vegetables properly and keep them aside.
• Now, boil the potatoes until soft and mash them properly.
• Take a pan and heat some butter in it.
• Add asafoetida and cumin seeds to it.
• Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the garlic and onions to it.
• Add salt and saute them till the onions turn pinkish.

• Now, add the tomato puree to the pan
• As soon as the tomato puree starts to boil slightly, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala to it.

• Let it cook for 4-5 mins
• Then, add the mashed vegetables and potatoes to it and mix it very well.
• Now add the lemon juice and cilantro to it

• Let it simmer on medium heat for 5-7 mins
• In the Meantime, Heat some butter with chilli powder on a griddle, and toast the dinner rolls
• Serve hot with some chopped onions on the side

          The best part about Pav-Bhaji is that the recipe is very versatile and can be tweaked to suit any palate. You can be creative and add any vegetable or ingredient. Please leave a comment with your variations of this dish.