Vegetarian Treasury (Part – 12) : Pav Bhaji (Maska Mar Ke)
Pav Bhaji Recipe: Bhaji is a hearty mishmash of vegetables and rustic spices finished off with garnish of coriander leaves, a dollop of butter and a lemon wedge.
Highlights
Pav bhaji is a common street food of Maharashtra
Bhaji is an eclectic mix of vegetables
It is vey easy to make quintessential bhaji at home
Each time you think about Maharashtrian cuisine, it does not take us more than a minute to think about fiery and lip-smacking pav bhaji. It is the crown jewel of Mumbai’s street food fare.
For the unversed, pav bhaji comprises two components – a pillowy ‘pav’ which is paired with a ‘bhaji’, a hearty mishmash of vegetables and rustic spices finished off with garnish of coriander leaves, a dollop of butter and a lemon wedge.
The vegetarian marvel is perhaps one of the most indulgent ways to use up all your vegetable in stock, to make a thick and luscious curry with a signature orange-red hue. If you have never made pav bhaji in life, and yet always marvelled at the sheer genius of the dish, we have a recipe that will finally convince you to don that apron after-all.
Here are all the vegetables that commonly go into ‘bhaji’. Sometimes, the vegetables also determine the colour of the final curry:
1. Potatoes: They are the easiest to cook and mash, they also soak in the masalas really well.
2. Lauki: Lauki (or doodhi) is also widely used in bhaji, it is in fact one of the best ways to eat the nutritious, in-season veggie.
3. Capsicum: Capsicums induce a nice crunch and peppery feel into your bhaji.
4. Onions: The hot and pungent flavour of onions instantly lift the flavour of the curry.
5. Tomatoes: Tomatoes impart a delicious tangy flavour, and also helps color give your bhaji a vivid, red colour.
Pav bhaji is the crown jewel of Mumbai’s street food fare
6. Beetroot: It’s earthy taste and bright colour also makes for a nice addition, it is completely optional to use beetroot though.
7. Cauliflower: Cauliflower has become a rage in the world of health and nutrition, make sure cut it finely so that it takes the masalas well and is mashed seamlessly.
8. Peas: Peas also helps uplifts texture and add body to the bhaji, peas are slightly sweet and earthy to taste, that serves as a nice departure from the spicy outpour of flavours.
Remember, these are only few of the most popular veggies used in pav bhaji, you can experiment and add ingredients according to your will (Think: carrots, French beans, paneer, cheese).
FOR BHAJI:
- 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp butter
- 3 tomato, finely chopped
- ¼ cup peas / matar
- ½ capsicum, finely chopped
- 2 potato, boiled & mashed
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp + ¼ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
- ¼ tsp turmeric / haldi
- 1 tsp + ½ tsp pav bhaji masala
- 1 tsp + 1 tsp kasuri methi / dry fenugreek leaves
- 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chop ped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- ½ lemon juice
- 3 drops red food colour, optional
- water to adjust consistency
TO TOAST PAV:
- 8 pav / bread roll
- 4 tsp butter
- ½ tsp kashmiri red chilli powder / lal mirch powder
- ½ tsp pav bhaji masala
- 4 tsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
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firstly, in a large kadai heat 1 tbsp butter and add vegetables. cook and mash well.
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now add 1 tsp chilli powder, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp pav bhaji masala, 1 tsp kasuri methi and 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
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heat a tbsp of butter and add ¼ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp pav bhaji masala, 1 tsp kasuri methi.
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also add 1 tbsp coriander leaves, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste, 1 onion and ½ lemon juice. saute well.
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now add 3 drops of red food colour and mix well.
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boil and mash for 5 minutes adjusting consistency.
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finally, serve pav and bhaji as pav bhaji.
