Pav Bhaji

I am back after an extended weekend in ‘Amchi Mumbai’ (Our Mumbai) for my little niece’s first birthday. Mumbai- the city that never sleeps. Even at 12 in the night you feel as if it is Prime time! People getting back home from work (yes that’s true), some going for a stroll, partying crowd ,the roadside vendors selling all types of typical ‘Mumbaiya’ food. From Chinese Hakka noodles to Bhakri-Pithla/Zunka you get it all. Pav Bhaji is one of the most popular fast foods typical to Mumbai and you find ‘Pav Bhaji ki Gaadi’ (Hand cart) anywhere on the streets of Mumbai. Cheap and filling Pav Bhaji can be eaten for Breakfast, lunch dinner- anything. It is almost impossible to resist the aroma coming from these ‘Gaadis’ or eateries serving Pav bhaji and the distinct ‘tak tak’ sound the Pav Bhaji masher makes with the Tava is just melodious. 

Pav Bhaji as the name suggests is a combination of Pav – bread and bhaji – a potato based mixed vegetable curry. The key ingredient for the mouthwatering flavour of this dish is a blend of about 13-14 spices-the Pav bhaji masala. There are a lot of variations of the original recipe…Amul Pav Bhaji (Garnished with Amul butter), Sada Pav bhaji (without butter), Jain Pav bhaji (without onion and garlic), Khada Pav bhaji (without mashing the vegetables)etc… The Bhaji is made on a big flat tava (griddle) and a masher is used instead of a ladle to stir it. If you don’t have this tava at home a wide mouth pan works just fine.

 

Literally a fast food Pav bhaji is very fast and easy to prepare and very filling. Addition of vegetables takes care of the nutrition aspect of this dish. So when you make it at home add vegetables of your choice (mostly the so called ‘English vegetables’ like carrots, cauliflower, peas etc.) to boost its nutritive value.  For Pav Bhaji you need: Serves 4

6-7 potatoes- boiled, peeled and mashed (no lumps, mash them finely)

1 cup cauliflower florets boiled and finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped and boiled carrots

½ cup fresh green peas boiled and mashed

½ cup capsicum (green bell pepper) finely chopped

4-5 medium sized tomatoes finely chopped

4 onions finely chopped

1 tsp garlic paste

¼ cup fresh green coriander finely chopped

1tsp cumene seeds

2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

1 tsp Red Chilli powder (The one which is hot and red like Bedgi mirch)

2 tsp oil

2 tsp salted butter like Amul –for the tadka

2 tsp butter for garnishing (optional)

Salt as per Taste

1 lemon cut into pieces for garnishing.

8-10 Pav ( soft Buns) 

Heat oil and butter on the tava or a pan. Add the cumene seeds.Add the garlic paste. Fry for ½ a minute. Add ½ of the chopped onions. Keep the remaining half for garnishing.Fry onions nicely till golden brown. Add the finely chopped tomatoes. Fry nicely stirring with the masher (you can use a round spoon too) till all the moisture evaporates and the tomatoes are properly cooked. The mixture starts leaving oil on the side. At this point add the Pav Bhaji masala and the Red chilli powder. (Pav Bhaji is usually spicy…so adjust the proportion of red chilli powder to your taste)Fry for one minute and then add the potatoes and all the vegetables except capsicum. Mash and stir the mixture nicely.Once the mixture is homogenous, add the finely chopped Capsicum. Add salt.Cook till the capsicum becomes little tender. Don’t overcook it, it should be crunchy. Add  about 1 cup water to the Bhaji. Let it boil for a few minutes. Once it boils nicely remove from the tava and serve.Slit the Pav horizontally like you would for a burger and apply butter on both sides. On the same tava, which you made Pav bhaji roast the buns for a few minutes. 

Top the bhaji with  1-2 spoons of butter  and serve with hot Pav , chopped onions, chopped green coriander and a piece of lime.