Pav Bhaji

Ingredients

For the bhaji

• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 cup cauliflower florets
• 1/3 cup carrot, sliced
• 1/4 cup beetroot, diced
• 1/3 cup capsicum, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup green peas
• 1 inch ginger
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 green chilli
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
• 3–4 tbsp tomato puree
• 2–3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2–1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• 1/2 tsp kasoori methi
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• Salt, to taste
• 2–3 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
• Water, as needed

For serving

• 4 Iyengar’s bakery buns
• Butter, for toasting
• A pinch of pav bhaji masala
• 1–2 tbsp bhaji, for toasting the buns
• Chopped onion
• Lemon wedges
• Fresh coriander

Method

1. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, capsicum, green peas, ginger, garlic, and green chilli to a pressure cooker. Add a little salt, a small amount of butter and oil, and enough water to help the vegetables cook. Pressure cook until everything is soft and easy to mash.

2. Mash the cooked vegetables well until mostly smooth. A little texture is good, but the bhaji should feel soft and creamy.

3. Heat butter and oil in a wide pan. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, and salt.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree. Cook until the tomatoes break down fully and the masala becomes thick and glossy.

5. Add the mashed vegetables to the pan and mix everything together well. Mash again directly in the pan so the masala and vegetables combine properly. Add a little water to loosen the bhaji if needed.

6. Add kasoori methi, chaat masala, and fresh coriander. Let the bhaji simmer for a few minutes on low heat until rich, thick, and buttery. Taste and adjust salt or pav bhaji masala if needed.

7. Slice the Iyengar’s bakery buns. Heat butter on a tawa or flat pan, add a pinch of pav bhaji masala and a small spoonful of bhaji, then toast the buns until warm, buttery, and lightly golden.

8. Serve the hot pav bhaji with the toasted buns, chopped onion, coriander, and a squeeze of lemon on the side.

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Tips: The beetroot adds a slight sweetness and gives the bhaji a deeper colour. Iyengar’s bakery buns make this extra tasty and slightly more indulgent. Mash the bhaji well for that classic pav bhaji texture, but leave a little body so it still feels homemade.