The classic street-style dish of Mumbai, Pav Bhaji is a tasty combination that is found across the city. Serving as a fuel for the hungry soul, just like the numerous other pav-based dishes that one enjoys on the streets of Mumbai, pav bhaji is a wholesome meal for one. Well, we aren’t surprised by the way it fits into both the snack and lunch category so well, given the origins of this humble dish.
Did you know that Pav Bhaji has connections with the American civil war? For the unversed, pav bhaji consists of a pav or bread that was introduced to us by the Portuguese and a bhaji or thick and spicy gravy made with boiled potatoes and mashed vegetables like peas, beans and cauliflower. The dish originated at a time when the hungry mill workers of the cotton industry needed a proper meal to satiate themselves after long hours of work.
The workers headed back home really late and couldn’t be served food at home so several carts of food were set up outside the factories. These utilised the leftover vegetables, together on a tawa and served them with soft buns called pavs. Today, you’ll find a plethora of street shops selling pav bhaji in the city. However, if you want to make it at home, here’s a super-easy recipe to try.
Source: HT Buzz/Instagram
Ingredients:
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped tomato
• Ghee/butter
• 1 tbsp jeera
• Pav Bhaji masala
• Boiled peas
• 2 boiled potatoes
• 2 boiled cauliflowers
• Garam masala
• Chopped coriander leaves
• Pav buns
Method:
1. Begin by adding butter in a pan.
2. After it melts, add some chopped onions to it.
3. Then add some tomatoes along with spices like jeera and garam masala.
4. Throw in the boiled vegetables like peas, potatoes and cauliflower.
5. Mix well and sprinkle pav bhaji masala on it.
6. Add red chilli powder and salt to it.
7. Mash it all well till it becomes a thick mixture.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Butter pav buns on a pan and serve hot with the bhaji and sliced onions.
