Bombay Pav Bhaji Recipe with step by step pictures: Absolutely luscious, very buttery, smooth and velvety bhaji served with buttered and spiced pavs, exactly the kind as is served on the roadside eateries, especially in Mumbai, is Bombay Pav Bhaji. Bhaji is basically a dish prepared using boiled potatoes, which are cooked with onion, tomatoes, and lots of garlic, butter and spices, along with a few vegetables. Pav bhaji is prepared in many different ways but the kind of consistency and texture which is offered by the Bombay pav bhaji, is unmatched. Mashing the ingredients well is the key to that consistency. And to mash it properly it is best cooked on a skillet i.e. tawa. However in absence you can make it in a kadai too. The street style pav bhaji does not call for many ingredients, i.e. vegetables, which we generally add in the pav bhaji. The very basic onion and tomatoes are needed along with a lot of garlic and capsicum. Capsicum adds a lot of flavor to the pav bhaji. Bombay pav bhaji can be served with buttered and spiced pav or I even like to serve it with buttered bread slices along with a lot of chopped onion salad.
Vegetables: Onions and lots of tomatoes form the base for the Bombay pav bhaji. Garlic is used to flavor it. Capsicum adds a peculiar taste to the pav bhaji. A lot of chopped coriander leaves are used too. Green peas have been used. You can use the frozen ones too or totally skip peas if the same isn’t available. And did I forget to mention, that we also need a few boiled potatoes?
Spices: Salt should be used under control, as the butter has a lot of salt and a lot of butter is used to make Bombay pav bhaji. Kashmiri red chili powder has been used instead of the regular red chili powder. Kashmiri chili powder gives a great color to the bhaji without making it too hot. Further, I have used the homemade pav bhaji masala for this street style pav bhaji. However, you can use the store-bought one.
Butter: One cannot make bhaji without butter or with less butter. However, you can add more butter than what is mentioned in the recipe.
The street food of Mumbai is popular across the nation. You might like the very delish Bombay veg toast, Bombay Sandwich, Vada Pao, etc.
Serve it hot with buttered soft pav for a weekend dinner.
1.This recipe serves 4-6 persons.
2.On a skillet, add 1 chopped capsicum.
3.Roast for a couple of minutes.
4.Next add 4 chopped tomatoes.
5.Followed by paste of 15 garlic cloves and 1 green chili.
6.Also add in 2 tbsp of pav bhaji masala.
7.Add 1 tbsp of Kashmiri red chili powder.
8.Add 1 tsp of dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) powder.
9.Drop in 2 tbsp of butter.
10.Cook everything for 3-5 minutes till the tomatoes get soft.
11.Simultaneously, on another skillet, add 2 chopped onions.
12.To this add 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder.
13.Next add ½ a tsp of dried fenugreek leaves powder.
14.Add 1 tsp pav bhaji masala powder.
15.1 tbsp of butter goes in next.
16.Add a handful of chopped coriander leaves.
17.Cook everything till the onions become soft.
18.On the skillet with tomatoes, add 4 boiled and mashed potatoes.
19.Followed by 1 cup of boiled peas.
20.Mix everything well.
21.Into this add the onion mixture.
22.Mix and cook everything.
23.Use a masher to mash it all.
24.Mash it for 10-15 minutes till smooth.
25.Add water. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes.
26.Add red food coloring, although this is optional, but it gives the typical street style pav bhaji look to the bhaji.
27.Cook for 10-12 minutes.
28.Squeeze in juice of a lemon.
29.Garnish with a handful of chopped coriander leaves.
30.Add butter at the time of serving.
31.Serve hot. Bon appetite!
PREP TIME 15 minutes
COOK TIME 30 minutes
TOTAL TIME 45 minutes
Make a paste:
To toast Pav:
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