Pav Bhaji is a recipe from the state of Maharashtra in India. The clue as to what the dish contains actually is in its name: pav (pronounced pa-o) means bread and bhaji (b-ha-dji) means vegetables, which in the case of this dish are mashed together.
Butter, cheese, potatoes and bread make this a rather indulgent plate of food – a real treat for a cold lazy day!
RECIPE
Type: Vegetarian (can be made Vegan by using Vegan cheese)
Approx. Preparation time: 20 mins
Approx. Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 3 to 4 people
INGREDIENTS
- 3 medium size potatoes
- Half of a medium size Cauliflower (or one small cauliflower)
- 1 green pepper
- 1 cup of green peas (you can use frozen peas)
- 5 medium size tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- A handful of fresh coriander
- Half of a lemon or lime
- 2 burger buns per person, although you can serve more or less than that of course!
- 200g grated cheese (either mature cheddar or Emmental)
- Optional – 1 to 2 teaspoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of sunflower or rapeseed oil
- 3 generous teaspoons of Pav bhaji masala spice mix (see pictures above)
- A generous teaspoon of salt
PREPARATION STEPS
Potatoes:
- Boil the potatoes (unpeeled) until they are soft – using a pressure cooker for this step will speed things up
- Once the potatoes are boiled, peel them – they will be easier to peel once they are boiled than when they are raw
- Roughly chop the potatoes
Other Veggies:
- Cut the cauliflower and pepper in medium to small chunks – it doesn’t matter what size they are, as eventually they will be mashed, but the smaller the chunks, the faster they will cook
- Put the cauliflower, pepper and green peas in a large pot with a generous pinch of salt and one cup of water. Put on high heat and cover with a lid. Leave to cook for 10 to 12 mins or until the vegetables are cooked – they should be soft
- Chop the tomatoes in small cubes and set aside
- Finely chop the onion and the coriander, add them to a bowl and mix together well – set this aside
COOKING STEPS
- Heat two tablespoons of oil on high heat in a large wok or nonstick pan
- When the oil is hot, add the potatoes to the wok, then add the cauliflower, pepper and peas. Add the tomatoes on top, and mix well.
- Add the masala and salt and mix thoroughly
- Mash everything together (using a potato masher), whilst keeping the pan on the heat
- Keep stirring regularly to prevent the bhaji from burning
- At this stage, taste the mixture and add masala and salt as need
- Keep the wok on the heat, stirring regularly
- Put some water to boil in a kettle or small pan
- Add a cup of freshly boiled water to the wok and mash again. The ideal consistency is that of rough mash: thick, and slightly rough and grainy
- Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes, stirring regularly
- Keep mashing until you get the desired consistency
- Optional – When the consistency is right, add the butter and mix well. This is optional: just like in potato mash, adding butter will give it a slightly creamier texture
- Take the bhaji off the heat
- Cut the buns lengthways
- Optional – slightly butter all sides of the bun slices and put them on a hot pan, to toast them on all sides. Alternatively you can skip the butter, and simply pop the bun slices in a toaster
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon or lime on the onion and coriander mix
- Serve the vegetable mix hot, topped with grated cheese, with a warm bun and a side of the onion and coriander mix