Pav Bhaji {Indian Street Food – Spiced Mashed Vegetables With Homemade Bread Rolls}

To Indians around the world, pav bhaji needs no introduction. It is hands down, one of the most beloved and relished street food style meals. To the uninitiated, pav bhaji has two parts; bhaji, a spicy and tangy mashed vegetable gravy served on pav, warm and toasted buttery rolls. This is served with lots of cilantro, freshly chopped red onions and lime for squeezing on top.

Originally synonymous with the bustling streets of Mumbai, pav bhaji has made its way to the rest of India’s streets, restaurants, homes and bellies. Its sheer simplicity, versatility and even nutrition factor is what makes pav bhaji so special.

I’ve always been squeamish about street foods. Every city/town/village has a few good (read clean, healthy and dependable) street vendors, while the food served by most others are somewhat dubious. For us, street food is a sort of treat, to be indulged in once in a while to satiate a craving, while for countless many, it is a source of their daily and most often, only meal of the day. While working and living on my own, I used to indulge in plates of pav bhaji at a small restaurant near my office. This restaurant looked like one of those hole-in-the-wall establishments, but was actually regulated by quite stringent health and cleanliness guidelines. So I indulged and fell in love with this humble meal.

The spicy vegetable mash is typically served with lavishly buttered and toasted bread rolls, but I decided to bake some wholewheat pav this time. They actually came out pretty good and makes the indulgence worthwhile. You can use store-bought dinner rolls or my secret guilty indulgence, Hawaiian king rolls. I used a recipe found in the back of my flour bag for these quick dinner rolls.

The bhaji typically has onions, green bell peppers (capsicum), potatoes, tomatoes, maybe carrots, peas or even beetroot. Basically, you need vegetables that are hearty and would add some bulk to the mash when cooked. Potatoes and carrots do a pretty good job at this, but some folks add cauliflower as well. I kind of veer away from caulis in my bhaji, but that is a strictly personal preference. You are welcome to use what you like. I haven’t added beets here, but usually I throw in a diced beetroot to end up with a lovely reddish bhaji.

Serve pav bhaji à la carte with melted butter, chopped red onions, cilantro and lime wedges on the side. I make this bhaji more often to eat with simple chapatis or homemade naan breads.

While you can use a special blend of spices called pav bhaji masala to make the bhaji, I usually go with my trusted trio of red chili, coriander and garam masala powders. But there is a secret ingredient that makes all the difference, which is also found in the ready-made masala. Sprinkle some amchur or dried mango powder to add the unique tanginess to the bhaji. You can get away with using lime juice in a pinch, but amchur powder’s flavor is unique. If you like cooking Indian food, I would advise you to invest in a small packet which will last you a very long time.

PAV BHAJI {SPICED MASHED VEGETABLE GRAVY WITH HOMEMADE BREAD ROLLS}

Wholewheat Pav or Bread Rolls (Adapted from King Arthur Flour)

You will need: (Makes 8 rolls)

• Milk – 2/3 cup
• Water – 2 tbsp
• Active dry yeast – 3 3/4 tsp
• Butter – 1 tbsp + extra for brushing on top
• Sugar – 2 tsp
• Salt – 1/4 tsp
• Wholewheat flour – 21/2 – 3 cups
• Egg – 1, beaten (optional)

How to:

• Warm the milk, water and butter in a small sauce pan (or in a bowl in the microwave). The mixture must be warm, not boiling. Stir in the sugar, salt and yeast. Set aside to proof for 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl, take 2 cups of flour, make a well in the middle and add the yeast mixture. Mix with your hands (or the dough hook of an electric mixer) to form a raggedy mass. Keep adding more flour to form a somewhat sticky clump of dough. You will end up using anywhere between 2 1/2 – 3 cups of flour in total.
• Dump it onto a clean and well-floured work surface and knead well till dough is smooth and elastic, 8-10 minutes. Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl, flip the dough to coat it in oil and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 20-30 minutes.
• Once dough is puffy, punch it down slightly. Form a thick log with the dough and divide into 8 portions. Roll each portion into a ball and arrange on a parchment paper lined 9-inch baking pan. Cover with the kitchen towel and allow to rise for 20 more minutes.
• Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter or a lightly beaten egg and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• Allow to cool slightly in the pan, remove and serve with the bhaji.

Notes:

• You can use all-purpose flour for regular dinner rolls or a combination of both flours in this recipe.
• Once completely cool, the bread rolls can be stored in an airtight container for a couple of days. Reheat in the microwave or toast slightly in a hot skillet before serving.

Bhaji or Mashed Vegetable Curry (Serves 8 as a snack or 4 as a meal)

You will need:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Onion – 1, finely chopped
• Ginger – 1 tbsp, chopped
• Garlic – 2 cloves, finely chopped
• Green bell pepper – 1, seeds removed and finely chopped
• Tomato – 1 large, chopped
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 1/2 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 3/4 tsp
• Carrots – 2, finely chopped
• Green peas – 1/2 – 3/4 cup
• Potatoes – 2 large white potatoes, boiled
• Salt – to taste
• Amchur powder – 1 tsp
• Cilantro leaves – a few, to garnish

How to:

• Boil and peel the potatoes first. Set aside.
• In a large pan, heat oil. Add cumin seeds and when they begin to crackle, add onions, ginger and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.
• When onions turn translucent, add bell peppers and saute for a couple of minutes. Then add tomatoes and cook till they are mushy.
• Now add red chili, coriander, cumin and garam masala powders and stir for a few seconds.
• Add the carrots and peas, sprinkle some water and cook till they are tender. Then add the boiled potatoes and mash everything together with a potato masher.
• Add a cup of water, salt and 1/2 tsp amchur powder. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then remove the lid, check seasoning and reduce till gravy is no longer runny. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp more amchur powder and fresh cilantro leaves on top. Serve hot with homemade bread rolls.

Notes:

• You can also add other vegetables like cauliflower and beetroot as per your preference.

To Serve Pav Bhaji (Serves 8 as a snack or 4 as a meal)

You will need:

• Pav or homemade bread rolls – 8, see above recipe
• Bhaji or vegetable curry – around 4-5 cups, see above recipe
• Butter – 3-4 tbsp, melted
• Red onions – 1, finely chopped
• Cilantro leaves – a small handful, finely chopped
• Lime wedges – to serve

How to:

• Slice each bread roll in half, butter well on both sides and toast in a hot skillet. Serve with a generous helping of the bhaji and onions, cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

For an authentic feel, serve the pav bhaji in those cute little Indian thalis or divided steel plates. Pile a slice of the dinner roll with bhaji and eat them as sliders. Enjoy!

So, tell me, what is your favorite street food? Do you make any at home? Do share.

I hope you will give this spicy and tangy bhaji served with the warm and fluffy homemade rolls a try. You will not be disappointed!

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I am sharing this over at Angie’s amazing blog link party at The Novice Gardener and Saucy Saturdays.