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Restaurants›Junction - Indian Street Food (Barrie)›Pav Bhaji Recipe

Pav Bhaji Recipe

Name: Junction - Indian Street Food (Barrie)s Pav Bhaji Recipe
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 4 cups potatoes (peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes); 2 cups cauliflower florets (medium); 1 cups green peas (fresh or frozen); 1 cups carrot (diced); 0.5 cups bell pepper (red or green, finely chopped); 1 cups onion (finely chopped); 1.5 cups tomatoes (very ripe, finely chopped) or tomato puree; 1 tbs ginger (grated); 1 tbs garlic (finely minced); 1 tsp green chilies (finely chopped); 4 tbs unsalted butter; 2 tbs vegetable oil; 2 tbs pav bhaji masala; 0.5 tsp red chili powder; 0.25 tsp turmeric powder; 1 tsp coriander powder; 1.5 tsp salt; 2 cups water (for boiling/simmering); 1 tbs lemon juice; 0.25 cups fresh cilantro (finely chopped); 2 tbs unsalted butter (for final tempering); 0.5 tsp pav bhaji masala (additional, optional); 2 tbs fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish); 4 to taste lemon wedges; 8 pieces pav buns (soft dinner rolls) or small burger buns; 4 tbs unsalted butter (for toasting pavs)

Inspired by Junction - Indian Street Food (Barrie)

Time1h

Serves4

Make Pav Bhaji Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.

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Ingredients

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Bhaji (vegetable curry)

4 cups potatoes (peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes)

2 cups cauliflower florets (medium)

1 cups green peas (fresh or frozen)

1 cups carrot (diced)

1/2 cups bell pepper (red or green, finely chopped)

1 cups onion (finely chopped)

1 1/2 cups tomatoes (very ripe, finely chopped) or tomato puree

1 tbs Ginger (grated)

1 tbs garlic (finely minced)

1 tsp green chilies (finely chopped)

4 tbs Unsalted butter

2 tbs Tuscany sunflower oil

2 tbs pav bhaji masala

1/2 tsp red chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

2 cups water (for boiling/simmering)

1 tbs ReaLemon lemon juice

1/4 cups fresh cilantro (finely chopped)

Tadka / finishing

2 tbs unsalted butter (for final tempering)

1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala (additional, optional)

2 tbs fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)

4 to taste lemon wedges

Pavs (bread) and serving

8 pieces pav buns (soft dinner rolls) or small burger buns

4 tbs unsalted butter (for toasting pavs)

Method

Bhaji (vegetable curry)

Prep vegetables

Wash, peel and cube the potatoes. Break cauliflower into medium florets. Dice carrot, chop bell pepper, finely chop onion and tomatoes. Mince garlic and grate ginger. Keep green peas ready (if frozen, no need to thaw).

Cook vegetables

In a large pot or deep skillet, add the cubed potatoes, cauliflower florets, diced carrot and green peas. Add 1 to 1.25 cups of water (enough to come up about 1/3 of the vegetables). Cover and simmer over medium heat for 12–15 minutes until vegetables are fork-tender. If using a pressure cooker, cook 2 whistles and let pressure release. Drain any excess water but reserve about 1/4–1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Sauté aromatics

While the vegetables cook, heat 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs oil in a wide heavy-bottomed skillet or kadhai over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and sauté 6–8 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the grated ginger, minced garlic and chopped green chilies; sauté 1 minute until fragrant.

Add tomatoes and spices

Add the chopped tomatoes (or puree) and cook 6–8 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the oil begins to separate slightly. Stir in pav bhaji masala (2 tbs), coriander powder (1 tsp), turmeric (1/4 tsp), red chili powder (1/2 tsp) and salt (1.5 tsp). Cook spices with the tomato mixture 2–3 minutes to bloom the flavors.

Combine and mash

Transfer the cooked vegetables into the tomato-spice mixture. Using a potato masher or the back of a large spoon, mash the potatoes, cauliflower and carrots to a coarse-smooth consistency — leave some small chunks for texture. If the mixture seems dry, add up to 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid or additional water to reach a thick stew-like consistency. Simmer gently 6–8 minutes so flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt and spices.

Finish bhaji

Stir in 2 tbs butter, lemon juice (1 tbs) and chopped cilantro (1/4 cup). Simmer 1–2 minutes, then turn off heat. The bhaji should be rich, glossy and spreadable but not runny.

Tadka / finishing

For extra richness, heat 2 tbs butter in a small pan until melted and slightly foamy. Sprinkle the optional 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala into the butter, swirl once and pour this tadka over the prepared bhaji. Garnish with the additional chopped cilantro and keep lemon wedges on the side.

Pavs (bread) and serving

Toast pavs

Slice each pav horizontally leaving one edge intact if you prefer or fully split. Heat a flat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tbs butter per pav (total 4 tbs) to the skillet and place pav halves cut-side down. Toast 1–2 minutes until golden and slightly crisp. Flip briefly to warm the other side if desired.

Serve

Spoon generous portions of hot bhaji into a shallow bowl or plate, add a knob of butter on top if you like, and place 2 toasted pavs alongside. Serve immediately with chopped onions, extra cilantro and lemon wedges for squeezing over the bhaji.