Pav Bhaji recipe is a popular dish from Mumbai made up of spiced mashed vegetable curry (bhaji), served piping hot with a soft bread roll (pav) with butter, finely chopped onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime made in an instant pot pressure cooker or stovetop. It’s healthy, vegan, gluten-free and so flavorful.
Dont have an Instant Pot? Dont worry I have shared the recipe for the stove top pressure cooker below.
Which is the Best Pav Bhaji Masala?
The flavor of the pav bhaji mainly depends on this special masala powder called Pav Bhaji Masala. This powder is always available in my pantry and I never had to prepare this masala powder from scratch. There are many brands selling pav bhaji masala but I highly recommend using EVEREST PAV BHAJI MASALA brand and is easily available in the Indian grocery stores or amazon.
What can you do with Leftover Pav Bhaji?
I usually prepare a larger quantity and use the leftovers to make either
Pav bhaji Paratha
Tawa Pulao
Masala Pav
How to Make Pav Bhaji in Instant Pot
Firstly, press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter. Add in the ginger-garlic paste, onions, and chopped capsicum/bell pepper. Saute until onions turn light brown.
Next, add in the finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes till the tomatoes are soft.
Then add potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, salt and water. Mix well.
Close the lid on the pot, and turn pressure valve from to SEALING position.
Set the pot to "MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK" (High Pressure) and timer to 6 minutes. Once the pot beeps, wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
Open and mash the Bhaji with potato masher or use immersion blender and coarsely grind the ingredients.
Turn on the SAUTE again and add the red chili powder, pav bhaji masala, Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), lemon juice, salt, and butter (optional but recommended). Let the bhaji boil for 2 minutes.
Serve Bhaji with pav or bread rolls ( Apply some butter and toast bread before serving). Garnish Pressure cooker Pav bhaji with butter, chopped onions and cilantro.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
- Firstly, heat the butter in a stovetop pressure cooker. Add in the ginger-garlic paste, onions, and chopped capsicum/bell pepper. Saute until onions turn light brown.
- Next, add in the finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes till the tomatoes are soft.
- Then add potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green peas, salt, and water. Mix well.
- Cover the cooker with a lid and cook for two whistles or about 12-15 minutes on medium heat.
- Once the pressure has released naturally, open and mash the Bhaji with a potato masher or use an immersion blender and coarsely grind the ingredients.
- Again turn on the heat and add the red chili powder, pav bhaji masala, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), lemon juice, salt, and butter (optional but recommended). Let the bhaji boil for 2 minutes.
- Serve Bhaji with pav or bread rolls (Apply some butter and toast bread before serving). Garnish stovetop pav bhaji with butter, chopped onions, and cilantro.
Variations of Mumbai Pav Bhaji
There are lot of variations to make this pav bhaji.
- Jain Pav Bhaji – No Onion, Garlic or underground vegetables like potatoes are used for making this dish.
- Cheese Pav Bhaji – A lot of Mozzarella or processed Cheese is added just before serving the Pav Bhaji.
- Keto Pav Bhaji – Is made with core ingredient cauliflower along with bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic, butter and pav bhaji masala. Will be sharing the recipe soon.
- Vegan Pav Bhaji – Use Vegan Butter or Oil to make Vegan Pav Bhaji.
Tips to make the best Pav Bhaji
- Add generous amount of butter while making this dish, this is one of the secret to make delicious pav bhaji. Use Amul Butter to get authentic mumbai pav bhaji flavor.
- Lot of street vendors use artificial colors to make pav bhaji red. Use Kashmiri Red chili powder to get that rich red color. Also you can use red bell pepper instead of green bell pepper. Another tip is to use vine red tomatoes for this recipe.
- Toast the Pav / dinner rolls with butter before serving.
FAQs
Leftovers can also be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and up to 3 months in the freezer in the freezer-safe containers. Just thaw the bhaji overnight in the refrigerator and serve with the pav or dinner rolls.
More Curry Recipes
- Lauki(Bottle gourd) Sabji
- Black Eye Pea Curry(Lobia curry)
- Zucchini Stir Fry
- Lauki Chana Dal
- Instant Pot Rajma Masala
Instant Pot Mumbai Pav Bhaji
Equipment
Ingredients
Measurements Used - 1 cup = 250 ml
- 2+2 tablespoon butter or oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 medium green OR red bell pepper chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes finely chopped (about 2 cups)
- 4 medium potatoes peeled and chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 medium carrot diced
- 8 cauliflower florets (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup green peas I used frozen peas
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala available in Indian grocery store
- 1 tablespoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (optional)
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
For Pav:
- 12 pav or dinner rolls
- ¼ cup butter
For Garnish
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 2-3 tablespoon cilantro (coriander leaves) to garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Heat 2 tablespoon of butter.Add in the ginger-garlic paste ,onions and chopped capsicum/bell pepper .Saute until onions turn light brown.
- Next add in the finely chopped tomatoes.Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes till the tomatoes are soft.
- Add potatoes, carrots, cauliflower ,green peas ,salt and water.Mix well.
- Close the lid on the pot, and turn pressure valve from to SEALING position.Press CANCEL button on Instant Pot.
- Set the pot to “MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK” (High Pressure) and set timer to 6 minutes.Once the pot beeps ,wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE(NPR).
- Open and mash the Bhaji with potato masher or use immersion blender and coarsely grind the ingredients.
- Turn on the SAUTE again and add the red chilli powder ,pav bhaji masala ,kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) ,lemon juice ,salt and butter(optional but recommended).Let the bhaji boil for a 2 minutes.
- Serve Bhaji with pav or bread rolls ( Apply some butter and toast bread before serving).Garnish with butter ,chopped onions and cilantro.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:
- Heat the butter in a stove top pressure cooker.Add in the ginger-garlic paste ,onions and chopped capsicum/bell pepper.Saute until onions turn light brown.
- Next add in the finely chopped tomatoes.Mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes till the tomatoes are soft.
- Add potatoes, carrots, cauliflower ,green peas ,salt and water.Mix well.
- Cover the cooker with lid and cook for two whistles or about 12-15 minutes on medium heat.
- Once the pressure has release naturally ,open and mash the Bhaji with potato masher or use immersion blender and coarsely grind the ingredients.
- Again turn on the heat and add the red chilli powder ,pav bhaji masala ,kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) ,lemon juice ,salt and butter(optional but recommended).Let the bhaji boil for a 2 minutes.
- Serve Bhaji with pav or bread rolls ( Apply some butter and toast bread before serving).Garnish with butter ,chopped onions and cilantro.
Notes
Tips to make the best Pav Bhaji
- Add generous amount of butter while making this dish,this is one of the secret to make delicious pav bhaji.Use Amul Butter to get authentic mumbai pav bhaji flavor.
- Lot of street vendors use artificial colors to make pav bhaji red.Use Kashmiri Red chilli powder to get that rich red color.Also you can use red bell pepper instead of green bell pepper.Another tip is to use vine red tomatoes for this recipe.
- Toast the Pav / dinner rolls with butter before serving.
Variations of Mumbai Pav Bhaji
There are lot of variations to make this pav bhaji.- Jain Pav Bhaji – No Onion, Garlic or underground vegetables like potatoes are used for making this dish.
- Cheese Pav Bhaji – A lot of Mozzarella or processed Cheese is added just before serving the Pav Bhaji.
- Keto Pav Bhaji – Is made with core ingredient cauliflower along with bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic ,butter and pav bhaji masala.Will be sharing the recipe soon.
- Vegan Pav Bhaji – Use Vegan Butter or Oil to make Vegan Pav Bhaji.
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