How to Cook Pav Bhaji

Serves: 2

Preparation time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients needed to make Pav Bhaji:

For the pav or Indian buns:

• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups warm water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 1 tbsp sugar

For the bhaji or gravy:

• 2 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 8 beans, roughly chopped
• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup green peas
• 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, to garnish
• ½ tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp pav masala powder (recipe below)
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• Salt to taste

For the pav bhaji masala:

• ¼ cup coriander seeds
• 1/8 cup whole black pepper
• 10 red dry chilies
• 4 black cardamom pods
• 10 ½’’ cinnamon sticks
• 1 ½ tbsp fennel seeds
• 1/8 cup cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp dry mango powder

Cooking instructions for Pav Bhaji:

• To make the bread roll, pour ½ cup water into a bowl and stir in the sugar and yeast until well combined; set aside for 10 minutes or until it froths up.
• Place the flour in a large bowl and stir in a dash of salt into it.
• Stir in the yeast mixture, followed by a cup of water, until they are mixed properly and clump together to form a ball.
• Knead in the oil and softened butter until the dough becomes smooth.
• Dust a working counter with small amount of flour and knead the dough on it for a couple of minutes.
• Place it in a lightly oiled bowl and wrap it in a damp cloth before setting it aside for 1 ½ hours or until it doubles in size.
• Meanwhile, brush some melted butter into an 8’’x10’’ baking tray and set aside.
• Dust more flour on the working counter and split the dough into 9 equal portions.
• Roll each of them into round balls and arrange them onto the prepared tray.
• Press them lightly to flatten out the surface and set aside for another hour, wrapped in a damp cloth, until they rise up.
• Meanwhile, warm up your oven t0 190 degrees C.
• Brush them with a lashing of melted butter to glaze and bake them in the oven for 25 minutes or until they are baked through and turn light golden in colour.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack while you cook the gravy.
• To prepare the spice mix, toast the whole spices in a hot skillet over moderately low heat until they turn fragrant.
• Stir in the mango powder and fry them further for another minute.
• Set aside to cool completely and blend them in a spice grinder into a fine powder.
• Store it into an airtight container and use when necessary.
• To cook the gravy, dump all the veggies, except onion, in a pressure cooker and pour in enough water to cover them completely.
• Secure the lid and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
• Release the pressure naturally and drain them into a colander; set the cooking stock aside.
• Transfer them into a bowl and mash them with a potato masher or back of a spoon; set aside.
• Heat a mixture of 1 tbsp butter plus oil in a saucepan and throw in the chopped onion.
• Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté the mixture for 5-8 minutes or until they caramelize slightly.
• Stir in the tomatoes and continue to stir fry them until they turn mushy.
• Sprinkle the red chili powder, ground turmeric as well as a dash of salt until mixed well.
• Sauté the mixture for a couple of minutes and stir in the mashed veggies until well combined.
• Sprinkle the measured spice mix into it and give it a nice stir until properly mixed.
• Pour in the reserved cooking liquid, stir to mix well and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Continue to cook until it turns thicker and stir in a splash of lemon juice plus cilantro leaves until mixed properly.
• Split each bun into halves and spread remaining butter into the crustier side.
• Toast them on a hot griddle and serve them alongside hot prepared vegetable gravy or bhaji.

 Image credit: Wikimedia Commons