Saturday, October 3, 2015

Posted by Mala at 2:00:00 AM 3 comments
Pav Bhaji, a famous Mumbai street food, joins the  Inseparable Combo category. You cannot think of Pav without Bhaji or bhaji without pav. In the olden days, the dough for Pav used to be kneaded with feet by the workers, to speed up work("pav" in hindi means feet), and there is another meaning for this also. "Pav" in marathi means 1/4 measure. You always get Pav buns as a set of 4, then you cut them into quarters.
Pav and Bhaji were mainly for the textile workers replacing rice and dhal, and , whatever vegetable available was thrown into this bhaji, spiced up with some masalas, mashed with a dosa ladle with the typical sound, and pav buns were arranged in circles around the bhaji.
This bhaji, which becomes more flavourful and aromatic with the Pav Bhaji Masala,(I used store bought only)  has been made healthy here, avoiding too many potatoes.

Ingredients
Pav buns - 2 packets, consisting of 8 pieces, which have to be halved while toasting
Low fat Amul butter for toasting as required(Regular Amul salted butter can be used too)
Olive oil spray
Chilli flakes to top up some buns with

For Bhaji
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Carrot - 1
Potato - 1
Medium sized Cauliflower - 1
Fresh peas - 1/2 cup
Green bell pepper - 1
Small red bell pepper - 1
Onions - 2 + 1 for topping, while serving
Tomato - 3, pureed
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Pav bhaji masala - 3 tbsps
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder / dhania powder - 1 tsp
Low fat Amul butter - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 3 tsps
Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing
Lemon wedges for serving


For seasoning
Cooking oil - 3 tbsps
Jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Recipe Cuisine: North Indian; Category: Snack/Lunch/Dinner
Prep time: 20 mts; Cooking time: 20 mts; 

Serves 4

All vegetables chopped into cubes and put inside pressure pan, with 1 cup water, with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder



                                                     Pressure cooked for 3 whistles
Tomatoes pureed


Seasoning done in Pressure pan


Onions added and sauteed


Both bell peppers thrown in


Ginger garlic paste added


Chilli, dhania and jeera powders added


Tomato puree added, and......
I pressure cooked this mixture for 1 whistle, so that the tomato puree will lose its raw smell and all flavours of the powders will mix well. Bell peppers , retaining their crunchy texture, will get cooked too. More than anything, this fastens my work!   It donned the look of  a very nice textured  gravy now


Then add the cooked vegetables, which have been mashed well.


Add salt and Pav bhaji masala too


Finally, add the Amul low fat butter and after switching off, add the lemon juice too. All along the flames have been kept on low.


The untoasted pav buns with the bhaji.....am I trying to imitate the road side vendors???


Heat a non stick pan, add some butter along with olive oil spray, and start toasting the buns till they become golden. (Adding Olive oil spray is to reduce  the quantity of butter)


                                      If you want the buns to be spicy, you can sprinkle some chilli flakes too.

   Serve the hot Pav buns, with the aromatic  Bhaji,  topped with finely chopped onions, fresh coriander leaves and a lemon wedge.

A closer look of the bhaji

                                                       
                                                                         Notes
     * Pav bhaji masala also has powdered chillies mixed in it, so take care while adding chilli powder.
*If you do not mind, cauli flower can be replaced by potatoes too, or the quantity of potatoes can be increased too
*Pav buns can be toasted in oven also.





3 comments:

  1. Wah! Wah!! Mumbai street food ko takkar dediya aap! Itna rang rangila swadisht aur poushtik pav baaji banadiya!! Thank you .I am a great fan of st food! Though it is supposed to be"unhygienic " . you made this dish a mouth watering one! Yum!!!

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  2. Arre Mai bhulgaya ! The above comment was made by your regular blog reader named (V)

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    Replies
    1. Kya baath hai!!!! Kab se aap Hindi kavi ban gayi!!!!! Wah wah!!!

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