We've always been making Pav Bhaji at home for the longest time. After all, its a very easy recipe to follow. Though our homemade Pav Bhaji would turn up pretty good, it wasn't quite close to the ones that Pav Bhaji wale Bhaiyya made. We relished it nevertheless
After we moved out of Bombay, We've eaten Pav Bhaji at so many places & in so many cities but Nowhere in the world will you get Bombay style Pav Bhaji other than good old Bombay
In Search of that Perfect Recipe
When I was new to blogging, I stumbled upon Nupur's, One Hot Stove. Nupur is a veteran in food blogging & her blog used to be quite popular years ago especially for her Mumbai Style Authentic Pav Bhaji Recipe. Nupur's recipe is more than a decade old, I think it was published way back in 2005
I decided to give it a try as the recipe had so many rave reviews. What did i have to lose? So, I reluctantly skipped the carrots & onions & the end result was indeed very different.
After a dozen trials & improvisations, this is a recipe that is very very close to the street style pav bhaji
- 1 small head of Cauliflower
- 3 - 4 Medium sized potatoes
- 2 small or 1 large Green Capsicum - finely chopped
- Everest Pav Bhaji Masala
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- Everest Garam Masala
- Everest Kitchen King Masala
- 1 tbsp chopped Garlic
- 1 small can of tomato paste (about 170g)
- Salt to Taste
- 4 tbsp Butter + more for toasting Pav
- 1 Red Onion - finely chopped
- A small bunch of chopped fresh coriander
- A handful of boiled green peas - fresh/frozen -- OPTIONAL
- Lime wedges
How To:
Cut Cauliflower into florets. Peel & dice the potatoes & pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool & set aside
Once the boiled vegetables are cool enough to handle, mash them well using a Pav Bhaji masher or using the back of a spatula.
In a heavy bottomed Sauce pan, add a tbsp of oil, add chopped garlic & finely chopped capsicum. Sauté for a 3-4 minutes until the capsicum is slightly soft.
Add the mashed vegetables slowly & add some salt.
Now add all the masalas mentioned one by one. Add tomato paste
It would be difficult to measure the exact measurement off all the masalas. I'd say, start with a little bit of all the masalas & keep adding more until you find the right balance between the masala & the slight tang from the tomatoes & salt
Also add the butter at this stage & let it simmer on low flame for about 20-25 minutes until the flavours blends well & the bhaji thickens up. As the Bhaji begins to thicken, it will spurt so remember to close the saucepan with a lid when you are not stirring it
Turn off the flame & let the bhaji sit for a while for the flavours to develop .. The longer it sits, the better it tastes
NOTE:
You many not need all of the tomato paste mentioned here. Add a little at a time until you find the right balance. If you've added way too much tomatoes & the Bhaji has turned out very tangy. Boil & couple of carrots, mash them & add to the bhaji. The sweetness of the carrots will balance out the sourness from the tomatoes
How To Serve:
Cut the Pav, horizontally into halves. On a hot pan, add a small blob of butter & lightly toast both sides of pav.
Transfer Bhaji into a serving bowl, garnish with finely chopped red onions, boiled peas & fresh coriander. Add a wedge of lime on the side & serve with toasted Pav
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