Mumbai Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a popular snack from Maharashtra which is a mish mash of a variety of vegetables and spices served with a special bread called pav. This dish can be had for lunch, evening snack or dinner. Here is how to make best Mumbai Style Pav Bhaji Recipe at home.

I am a sucker for Indian street food and no trip to Mumbai is complete without hogging on a plate of delicious Pav Bhaji or Vada Pav. Juhu Beach Chowpatty is the place to go if you are looking to eat yummy roadside food which is not only delicious but is super easy on the pocket too.

When in Delhi, my fav place to go for clean and hygienic Indian Food is Haldiram.

But the best food from the long list of Indian Menu at the restaurants can be made at home and this Home made food tastes much better because we use the best of ingredients, can be sure about the hygiene and it’s much economical to make it at home.

So let’s make this Restaurant Style Pav Bhaji recipe at home.

What is Pav Bhaji?

Popular snack from the street of Mumbai, this dish has become a favourite in almost all the parts of the country. A mish-mash of vegetables cooked with spicy masala makes Mumbai Pav Bhaji is a unique dish in many ways.

Served with Buttered Pavs ( Soft Bread ) and lemon and onions on the sides, it’s more or less a meal in itself.  Mumbai Pav Bhaji Masala is actually made on a huge tawa which is used in most of the street shops of Mumbai. It just tastes excellent with warm, fluffy pavs.  

This dish was invented as an option to provide quick, filling meal to factory workers which was economical as well. Gradually, it has become a mass favourite and served on the streets on carts as well as in the posh hotels.

Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe is a great option to be made for dinner or for small kitty parties. When I was a kid,  whenever my parents used to throw birthday parties for me,  Mumbai Pav Bhaji was definitely made!

I and my friends had an amazing time relishing piping hot Bhaji with the buttery pav. Super easy to make and awesome to eat, here’s my easy recipe for making spicy Bombay Pav Bhaji:

Tips to make best Pav Bhaji at home

Do not use too much potatoes in your bhaji. The combination of vegetables that I have used in this recipe makes the best tasting bhaji. You have to make it once to believe it.

Add some grated panner in your bhaji at the end and make it cheese Pav Bhaji. You can also add some grated processed cheese and make it really cheesy.

You can increase or decrease the amount of chillies in the recipe to suit your taste.

I used Pav Bhaji masala from Everest brand which is my favourite but you can use whichever masala you want.

The vegetables must be cooked until they are nicely softened. Otherwise you will have chunks of veggies in your bhaji.

Use a potato masher to mash the bhaji. No other equipment work as well as this simple masher.

Add 1/4 beetroot in your Pav Bhaji to give it a lovely red hue.

The road side vendors use dried green peas soaked in water to make the pav bhaj and that gives it a very distinct taste. You can try using them too.

Which vegetables can be used to make Pav Bhaji?

The choice of vegetables used to make bhaji defines it’s taste. Mostly Potato, peas, beans and capsicum are used to make bhaji but I have learned this secret technique to use cabbage in my bhaji from a street vendor in Mumbai.

Cabbage doesn’t have a very profound taste and takes up the taste of the masalas added to it. Moreover, it increases the quantity of the bhaji and is economical to use as well.

That is the reason, street vendors use a lot of cabbage to make the bhaji. It’s cheap to use and takes up the taste of the masala making the bhaji delicious.

But again as I said, there are no rules to make bhaji. Add whichever vegetable you feel like eating and experiment with various flavours.

Try to not use too much of carrots as they tend to make the bhaji sweeter. 

The measurements that I have given below works fine for me, so may be you can give it a try too.

Which Pav Bhaji Masala is the best?

The best pav Bhaji Masala is the one made at home. I will share a homemade masala recipe soon but if you wish to buy readymade masala, I have felt that Everest is the best. It gives a perfect taste to the bhaji and is not overly spicy.

Can Pav Bhaji be frozen?

Like any other curry, Bhaji can be frozen quite well. Transfer it in a freezer safe container and freeze for 3-4 months. Thaw on counter for 2-3 hours and then microwave until hot. You can also give it a fresh tadka to make it taste absolutely fresh.

What goes with Pav Bhaji?

Serve chopped onion, chopped coriander, lemon wedges and butter with Pav Bhaji. Do not forget to slightly toast the Pav with butter on a hot tava just before serving.

You might also like

Misal Pav

Golgappa

Achari Paneer Tikka

Tawa Pulao

How to make Pav Bhaji Step By Step

Wash the vegetables and add them in a pressure cooker along with water and pressure cook until done.

Heat butter in a pan.

Add onion, ginger paste and garlic paste and fry till onion turns translucent and the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone.

Add green chillies and tomatoes and ½ cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Now add red chilli powder and Pav bhaji masala and cook for a minute.

Add the cooked vegetables in the pan and mix well.

Mash the Pav Bhaji using a potato masher till it is all mushy and mixed very well.

Add paneer, lemon juice, salt and coriander and mix well.

Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe

4.34 from 6 votes

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Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji is a popular snack from Maharashtra which is a mish mash of a variety of vegetables and spices served with a special bread called pav.

Course Snacks

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 215 kcal

Author Neha Mathur

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2 cup Cauliflower Cut into small pieces
• 1 cup Cabbage Chopped
• 1 and 1/2 cup Capsicum Chopped
• 1 and 1/2 cup Carrot Chopped
• 1 cup Peas
• 1 cup Potato Peeled and chopped
• 6 tbsp Butter
• 1 and 1/2 cup Onion Chopped
• 2 tsp Ginger Paste
• 2 tsp Garlic Paste
• 2 cups Tomato Chopped
• 2 tsp Green Chilli Chopped
• 2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
• 5 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
• 1/2 cup Paneer Grated
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander Chopped

Instructions

1. Wash the vegetables and add them in a pressure cooker.

2. Add a cup of water and pressure cook for 1 whistle on high heat.

3. Simmer the heat and cook for another whistle.

4. Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release and keep aside.

5. Heat butter in a pan.

6. Add onion, ginger paste and garlic paste and fry till onion turns translucent and the raw smell of ginger and garlic is gone.

7. Add green chillies and tomatoes and ½ cup of water and cook for 2-3 minutes.

8. Now add red chilli powder and Pav bhaji masala and cook for a minute.

9. Add the cooked vegetables in the pan and mix well.

10. Mash the Pav Bhaji using a potato masher till it is all mushy and mixed very well.

11. Keep adding little water if the Pav Bhaji thickens and cook for 10-12 minutes on medium low heat.

12. Add paneer, lemon juice, salt and coriander and mix well.

13. Garnish with fresh coriander and dollop of butter.

14. Serve hot with a dollop of butter, chopped onions and slightly toasted and buttered Pav.

Nutrition Facts

Pav Bhaji

Amount Per Serving

Calories 215 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 16g 25%

Saturated Fat 10g 50%

Cholesterol 42mg 14%

Sodium 142mg 6%

Potassium 365mg 10%

Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 3g

Protein 5g 10%

Vitamin A 24.8%

Vitamin C 33.4%

Calcium 12.6%

Iron 10.2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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