Mumbai Pav Bhaji

Delicious Indian street food with a fluffy, buttered and toasted bread roll served with a thick curried vegetable mash. Garnished with cilantro, red onions, lemon juice and butter!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: servings

Calories: 495kcal

Ingredients

MASHED VEGETABLES

3 peeled potatoes , medium
1.5 cups cauliflower florets
¼ tsp turmeric, for colouring

BHAJI BASE

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped, medium size
1 green bell pepper, chopped (substitute with jalapeno for a spicier version)
1 tsp ginger paste
2 tsp minced garlic, substitute with 2-3 garlic cloves
1 can pureed tomatoes (14.5 oz), if using diced, puree first
2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder, check recipe notes for three options!
1 cup peas, frozen (can use fresh also)
1 tsp salt, adjust to taste!
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped, for garnish

SERVING

12 dinner rolls, pav
½ onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
4 tbsp butter, salted (for toasting the rolls and for garnish)

Instructions

PREP POTATOES AND CAULIFLOWER

Bring a deep pot of water to boil - add peeled potatoes, cauliflower florets and a pinch of turmeric. Boil for 20 mins until fork can smoothly be inserted into potatoes
Drain, mash and set aside

PREPARE THE BASE

Heat vegetable oil (or ghee) in a deep pan
Add chopped red onions and green peppers and saute for about 3 minutes until golden brown
Add ginger paste and minced garlic to this and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant
Add pureed tomatoes and deglaze the pan (i.e. press with back of wooden spoon to bring together flavors) - saute on high heat for 3 minutes
Add the mashed cauliflower and potatoes along with the peas and 2 tablespoons of Garam Masala, and 1-1.5 cups of water - mix well together
Mash again using back of spoon or a masher so it's fluid but not watery
Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until all the components come together

PREPARE TO SERVE

Toast the buns in a toaster or on a pan using salted butter
Serve the toasted buns with bhaji as well as some sliced red onions, cilantro, 1-2 lemon wedges and a dollop of butter on the bhaji

Notes

This dish is super versatile. I use six vegetables but you can make this with as little as just potatoes and onions, or you can throw in other vegetables like carrots, beets, and eggplants too! You can also use frozen mixed vegetables.
If you have an Instant Pot, check the post for instructions on making this recipe!
If you're doubling the recipe, the cook times are the same - but please be careful about doubling the masala. Slowly add and increase to taste.
This recipe is spicy, but not overly so - especially when you eat it with bread. If you want to make it spicier, soak some Kashmiri red chili peppers and grind it with the ginger-garlic paste. To make it less spicy, reduce the amount of red chilli powder into the pav bhaji masala

Nutrition