Pav bhaji takes me down memory lane when I first tasted it from a food cart on the street next to Cross Maiden. It was during my college days at Nirmala Niketan (Home Science), Mumbai. I loved the dish with the very first morsel. Buttery, mouthwateringly delicious, the combination of the pav with the bhaji worked in perfect harmony. The flavour still lingering on my tastebuds even after several decades.
A popular street food, pav bhaji originated in the state of Maharashtra. Invented by a vendor in Mumbai in 1850s to cater to the hungry textile mill workers. This dish was prepared for their lunch break, which was light, cheap, nutritious, yet satisfying and delicious. Roti was substituted with “pav” (bread) and the spicy concoction of vegetables was referred to as “bhaji”. Served garnished with chopped onions and coriander leaves, topped with a dollop of butter and accompanied with a lemon wedge. Over time, pav bhaji was served in restaurants spreading throughout the city, entire nation and eventually, making its way across the globe.
Preparing the dish in an instant pot is easy and simple. The chopped vegetables are sautéed in butter and pressure cooked for 5 minutes. Then, blended to a coarse consistency with an immersion hand blender in less than a minute. This bhaji is enhanced with a combination of butter, cumin seeds, garlic and a paste made with red Kashmiri chillies that is condensed and well cooked. What makes this recipe unique and delicious is the variety of vegetables used in proper proportion along with the pav bhaji masala enriching the taste. Also, the red chilli paste balancing the sweetness from the veggies. Finally, a sprinkle of the juice from the lime wedge accompanied with the bhaji truly awakens your palate anticipating to the deliciousness ahead.
A popular street food, pav bhaji originated in the state of Maharashtra. Invented by a vendor in Mumbai in 1850s to cater to the hungry textile mill workers. This dish was prepared for their lunch break, which was light, cheap, nutritious, yet satisfying and delicious. Roti was substituted with “pav” (bread) and the spicy concoction of vegetables was referred to as “bhaji”. Served garnished with chopped onions and coriander leaves, topped with a dollop of butter and accompanied with a lemon wedge. Over time, pav bhaji was served in restaurants spreading throughout the city, entire nation and eventually, making its way across the globe.
Preparing the dish in an instant pot is easy and simple. The chopped vegetables are sautéed in butter and pressure cooked for 5 minutes. Then, blended to a coarse consistency with an immersion hand blender in less than a minute. This bhaji is enhanced with a combination of butter, cumin seeds, garlic and a paste made with red Kashmiri chillies that is condensed and well cooked. What makes this recipe unique and delicious is the variety of vegetables used in proper proportion along with the pav bhaji masala enriching the taste. Also, the red chilli paste balancing the sweetness from the veggies. Finally, a sprinkle of the juice from the lime wedge accompanied with the bhaji truly awakens your palate anticipating to the deliciousness ahead.
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Pav Bhaji In Instant Pot
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 large onion (chopped)
400 grams tomatoes (chopped)
100 grams carrot (peeled and chopped)
100 grams cauliflower florets (chopped)
125 grams green bell pepper (stalk and seeds discarded, chopped)
250 grams potatoes (peeled and chopped)
100 grams beetroot (peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup green peas
2 long green chillies (chopped)
2 + 1 spoonfuls of chopped garlic
1-inch ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons Everest pav bhaji masala
4 dried red Kashmiri chillies (deseeded, soaked and ground to a paste with little water)
3/4 cup coriander leaves (chopped)
1 cup water
3 + 2 tablespoons butter
salt
Garnishing
1 onion (chopped)
1 large lime (cut into wedges)
6 cubes of butter
Toasting
9 to 12 pav (bread)
6 cubes of butter
Method:
Wash all vegetables before peeling and chopping.
Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in the instant pot and sauté the onion until soft. Stir in 2 spoonfuls of garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry for a minute. Then, add the tomatoes and once pulpy, incorporate rest of the vegetables. Mix in one cup of water and salt. Close the lid, set the steam release handle to the sealing position and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally.
Using an immersion hand blender, break down vegetables to a slight coarse consistency.
In the meantime, heat the balance 2 tablespoons butter in a separate pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, the balance 1 spoonful of garlic and cook well. Stir in the chilli paste and pav bhaji masala. Fry well. Rinse the blender jar with little water and pour into the pan. Mix well and cook until thick with butter oozing out. Transfer mixture into the instant pot after the pressure has released naturally and stir to combine.
Turn the setting on the instant pot to saute and cook the bhaji for 2 to 3 minutes ensuring that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Check for seasonings and add salt, if required. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves leaving enough aside for the following two steps.
In a skillet or tawa, heat a cube of butter and add a spoonful of bhaji. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and stir. Slit open two pavs and place the inner side of the pavs onto the buttered mixture in the skillet. Move the pavs around to warm and absorb the buttery deliciousness. Fold pavs, turn, warm and toast on all sides. Transfer into a plate.
Serve bhaji topped with chopped onion, coriander leaves and a cube of butter accompanied with the toasted pavs and a lemon wedge.
Note:
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
1 large onion (chopped)
400 grams tomatoes (chopped)
100 grams carrot (peeled and chopped)
100 grams cauliflower florets (chopped)
125 grams green bell pepper (stalk and seeds discarded, chopped)
250 grams potatoes (peeled and chopped)
100 grams beetroot (peeled and chopped)
1/2 cup green peas
2 long green chillies (chopped)
2 + 1 spoonfuls of chopped garlic
1-inch ginger (grated)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons Everest pav bhaji masala
4 dried red Kashmiri chillies (deseeded, soaked and ground to a paste with little water)
3/4 cup coriander leaves (chopped)
1 cup water
3 + 2 tablespoons butter
salt
Garnishing
1 onion (chopped)
1 large lime (cut into wedges)
6 cubes of butter
Toasting
9 to 12 pav (bread)
6 cubes of butter
Method:
Wash all vegetables before peeling and chopping.
Heat 3 tablespoons of butter in the instant pot and sauté the onion until soft. Stir in 2 spoonfuls of garlic, ginger and green chillies. Fry for a minute. Then, add the tomatoes and once pulpy, incorporate rest of the vegetables. Mix in one cup of water and salt. Close the lid, set the steam release handle to the sealing position and pressure cook for 5 minutes. Once done, let the pressure release naturally.
Using an immersion hand blender, break down vegetables to a slight coarse consistency.
In the meantime, heat the balance 2 tablespoons butter in a separate pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, the balance 1 spoonful of garlic and cook well. Stir in the chilli paste and pav bhaji masala. Fry well. Rinse the blender jar with little water and pour into the pan. Mix well and cook until thick with butter oozing out. Transfer mixture into the instant pot after the pressure has released naturally and stir to combine.
Turn the setting on the instant pot to saute and cook the bhaji for 2 to 3 minutes ensuring that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Check for seasonings and add salt, if required. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves leaving enough aside for the following two steps.
In a skillet or tawa, heat a cube of butter and add a spoonful of bhaji. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and stir. Slit open two pavs and place the inner side of the pavs onto the buttered mixture in the skillet. Move the pavs around to warm and absorb the buttery deliciousness. Fold pavs, turn, warm and toast on all sides. Transfer into a plate.
Serve bhaji topped with chopped onion, coriander leaves and a cube of butter accompanied with the toasted pavs and a lemon wedge.
Note:
- If you don’t have an instant pot, cook vegetables in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. Follow method as indicated above.
- Bhaji was cooked with only 1 cup water. Consistency of the bhaji was perfect with moisture from the various veggies.
- Recipe for Pav, click here.
