Pav Bhaji (Mixed Veggies with Toasted Bread - Mumbai Street Food)

 

          This is a favorite Mumbai street food found in every street corners and is also popular in the other parts of Maharashtra. It is a simple mixed vegetables served with butter toasted pavs / bread. Quite filling and wholesome, it satiates your hunger and is the perfect lunch time meal for all office goers in Mumbai. This yummy one-dish meal can be enjoyed as a light dinner too. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this simple delicacy.

          

               The bhaji is healthy and nutritious at the same time with the goodness of mixed veggies. Moreover one can keep a check on the amount of butter if it is homemade. You can camouflage it with any veggies that your kids do not like and it will be gone in no time without any fuss. 

              There is absolutely no need to worry if Pav Bhaji masala is unavailable. You can add some garam masala instead. In fact, I sometimes use chicken masala too. It works just as fine. It is also accompanied with lime wedges, green chilies, chopped onion and coriander leaves. 

• 1 cup each of capsicum, carrots, potato, peas, cabbage and cauliflower
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 3 tbsp. butter or as required
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp. ginger-garlic paste
• 1-2 tomatoes, pureed
• 1 tbsp. tomato paste 
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp. Kashmiri red chili powder
• 2 tbsp. pav bhaji masala
• extra butter 
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi, crushed
• 1-2 tbsp. coriander leaves. chopped
• few pavs (bread) as required
• onion, green chilies & lime wedges

          Pressure cook the veggies in 1 cup water for 3-4 whistles. Mash them well with a potato masher and keep aside, 

          Heat oil and butter in pan and sauté the onion till it turns translucent.

          Add the ginger-garlic paste and all the dry spices mixed with some water. Sauté till the oil separates. 

          Now add the tomato puree and the tomato paste. Mix well and continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.  

          Add the mashed veggies and required quantity of water. Simmer on a low flame for 8-10 minutes or till the oil floats on the top. 

          When almost done, add some more butter and kasuri methi. Give it a nice mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and keep aside.

          Heat another tsp. of butter on a tawa / griddle. Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala, a tsp. of the prepared bhaji and some coriander leaves. 

          Toast the pav halves on both sides. Serve the pav bhaji with a dollop of butter on top of it along with the toasted pavs, chopped onion, green chilies and lime wedges for a great street style comfort meal. 

  Pressure cook the veggies in 1 cup water for 3-4 whistles.

                                 Mash them well with a potato masher and keep aside.

                          Heat oil and butter in pan & sauté the onion till it turns translucent.

                       Add ginger-garlic paste & all the dry spices mixed with some water. 

                       Sauté till the oil separates. 

                      Add tomato puree & tomato paste. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.  

                    Add the mashed veggies & required quantity of water. Simmer on a low

                    flame for 8-10 minutes or till the oil floats on the top. 

                         When almost done, add some more butter & kasuri methi. Give it a

                         mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. 

                                 Garnish with coriander leaves and keep aside.

                          Heat another tsp. of butter on a tawa. Sprinkle some pav bhaji masala, 

                          a tsp. of the prepared bhaji and some coriander leaves. 

                                 Toast the pav halves on both sides.

                       Serve pav bhaji with a dollop of butter along with the toasted pavs.

                        chopped onion, green chilies & lime wedges.

Spinach Masala Bread Rolls

        Wow!! Guess what? This is my 1000th post. What an amazing journey it was since I started blogging from August 2014. I take this opportunity to thank my family, friends and each and everyone of you all for being there with me in this culinary journey of mine. Thanks again for all the support in helping me reach this milestone, without which it would not have been possible.  

          Now coming to the recipe. This is just a simple homemade freshly baked Masala Bread Rolls with some spinach puree (that was leftover from making spinach naan the other day). Relish this as an evening tea-time snack. You can also have these bread rolls with soup, with some cheese in between, as a vada pav or burger. So check out an easy step by step pictorial recipe to prepare it.

          I must confess that this blogging journey was simply awesome. It was sometimes hectic and time consuming, but nevertheless, I enjoyed every bit of it. Absolutely no regrets and I kept learning on the way. Am still learning something new every other day and trying to improve in every sense possible. 

          The most challenging part was in the presentation. I try to give an artistic touch to the dish and make it more appealing as well as appetizing. I promise to keep this flow of easy, simple and interesting (healthy too) recipes coming your way. Hoping to have your support in my future endeavors in the blogging world.

• 2 cups plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp. garam masala powder
• 1 tsp. kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp. yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2-3 tbsp. spinach puree
• 1 tsp. butter (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp. melted ghee to brush
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds & nigella seeds

          In a small bowl, add the yeast, sugar and water. Mix and cover. Keep aside for 10-15 minutes. By then it will froth up and it is ready to be used.

          In a large bowl, add the flour and all the dry spices. Mix well and add the spinach puree along with the yeast mix.

          Combine well and knead for 2-3 minutes into a very soft dough . Add more lukewarm if required. Cover with a wet cloth and keep aside in a warm place for 30 minutes.

          Add the butter and again knead for 2-3 minutes. Cover and keep aside for a further 30 minutes.

          Punch back the dough and divide into equal round balls. Place them on a baking sheet, cover with a wet cloth and keep aside for an hour.

          Brush with melted butter and sprinkle some sesame seeds & nigella seeds. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C. for 22-25 minutes. 

          Cool on a wire rack and relish as an evening tea-time snack. You can also have these masala bread rolls with soup, with some cheese in between, as a vada pav or burger.

                                  In a large bowl, add the flour and all the dry spices. 

                                  Mix well and add the spinach puree, 

                                  and add the yeast mix.

                      Mix well & knead for 2-3 minutes into a very soft dough. Cover with
                      a wet cloth & keep aside for 30 minutes.

                   Add butter & again knead for 2-3 minutes. Cover & keep aside for 30 min.

                                   After 30 minutes.

                                 Punch back the dough and divide into equal round balls. 

                     Place on a baking sheet, cover with wet cloth & keep aside for an hour.

                                   After an hour.

                     Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle some sesame seeds & nigella seeds. 

                               Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degrees C. for 22-25 minutes. 

                                  Freshly baked rolls just out of the oven.

                       Cool on a wire rack. Relish as a teatime snack, with soup, with some cheese

                       in between as a vada pav or burger.