Spicy warm curry with mashed cauliflower and vegetables – popular Mumbai street food which I made it with cauliflower instead of potatoes – served with fresh butter paav or dinner bread rolls.
Everyone have their own way of doing pav bhaji and their own choice of vegetables. Origin pav bhaji has potato as base however I just made it with just cauliflower as base and it was amazing too. It has a origin as Mumbai. I have heard Mumbai street has the best pav bhaji, but for me my mom makes the best pav bhaji. She had it once somewhere in a restaurant from Chennai, and every time she made it, the taste got elevated. Now it is her special recipe she makes for everyone. I cant wait to have it back again from her hands.
Heard that when the mill workers preferred to have a cheap lunch during the lunch break, so a vendor or a chef I should say created this innovative dish. Then it went to restaurants and other cities. I should say this is my favorite Indian chaat recipe.
Serve it hot with bread or dinner rolls.
Other favorite Vegetarian curries: Kashmiri shaman kaliyah/paneer in spicy milk gravy, handi paneer dhaba style, Lentil malai kofta
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Hing (asafoetida) – ¼ tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Cauliflower – 1, small ( 2 cups)
- Capsicum – ½
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Onion – 2, medium
- Tomato – 2, medium
- Garlic ginger paste – 1 tbsp
- Green chilli – 3 pieces
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- Pav bhaji masala – 2 tbsp
- Salt – 2 tsp or to taste
- Coriander (cilantro) – ½ cup
- Chop the vegetables like cabbage, peas and cauliflower. Boil for 15 minutes or pressure cooker the vegetables for 10 minutes with 3 cups of water until become mushy.
- Mash the vegetables using masher with the water.
- Now in a pan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, hing, ginger garlic paste, chopped onions and sauté for 1- 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes with turmeric powder, chilli powder and let it ooze out some oil which will take 2- 3 minutes.
- Add mashed vegetables, required salt and readymade pav bhaji masala in the gravy.
- Combine well, cook the bhaji for atleast 10 – 15 minutes on low to medium flame.
- Add water in bhaji if required and cook for 5 more minutes.
- When the oil starts separating from top and pav bhaji is ready.
- Garnish with some butter on top, lemon wedge, chopped onion, chaat masala fried green chilli and fresh coriander leaves,
- Serve hot with some bread or paav.
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