Everyone loves it when they hear ‘pav bhaji’, with a pleasant aroma wafting in the air, which instantly is a treat to taste buds! It’s one of the spiciest Indian street foods from Mumbai, which you can now prepare for any party you are hosting at home.

It’s nutritional, as the bhaji has lots of vegetables and is rich at the same time, with a lavish spread of butter on the pav buns. It’s easy to prepare, and here’s how you can make it at home with a Suhana pav bhaji masala.

Step-by-Step Recipe Guide on How to Make Pav Bhaji

Craving the authentic Bombay special pav bhaji, which you can make at home in no time? Look further to create the recipe here with Suhana’s ready-made pav bhaji masala.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Suhana pav bhaji masala
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup chopped capsicum
• 1/2 cup chopped green peas
• 3 boiled potatoes
• Three tablespoons oil
• Two tablespoons butter
• One onion, finely chopped
• 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped (can add according to your spice preference)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• Suhana red chilli powder
• 1 cup water (you can add more if the bhaji is thick)
• Pav buns
• Chopped onions, coriander leaves, and lemon wedges

Instructions:

1. Prepare your vegetables: Wash the tomatoes, capsicum, green peas, onion, and green chillies and pat dry. Chop these into desired sizes. Boil the potatoes and peel the skin. Ensure to boil them for three to four whistles, so it’s easy to mash them for the bhaji.

2. Heat the oil: Heat oil over medium flame in a pan or pressure cooker. Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Sauté until the onions are translucent.

3. Add spices and vegetables: Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook till the raw smell of the paste vanishes. Now, add the chopped tomatoes and capsicum and potato at last. You can add some salt to these to speed up the cooking process. However, note that there is salt in the Suhana pav bhaji mix, so be extra careful!

4. Add the magic mix: Add the Suhana Pav Bhaji masala and keep the flame low. Mix it gently.

5. Cook the vegetables: Finally, add green peas and water. Adjust the water based on your preference. Note that bhaji must be thick for this recipe. Cover and cook for more than five minutes. If you want the bhaji to be rich and creamier, add a dollop of butter while serving or while the bhaji is still hot in the pan.

Toast the pav buns whenever you are ready to eat. Remember to toast the buns only before eating, as they may become soggy. Serve the hot bhaji with toasted pav buns, raw onions, lots of chopped coriander, and a lemon wedge!

Expert Tips to Make the Best Pav Bhaji

• Use a pressure cooker for faster vegetable cooking.
• Add the Suhana Pav Bhaji Spice Mix to ghee and fry for a minute. You can add this to the bhaji for enhanced flavour.
• Try experimenting with cauliflower and beetroot for a different flavour profile for the bhaji.

Explore the Diverse Flavours of Pav Bhaji

• Paneer Pav Bhaji is the next in line to the authentic type. All you have to do is add paneer to the bhaji you made. Before this, cut the paneer into cubes and toss the cubes in ghee or oil. This will enrich the taste of paneer and bhaji as well.
• Cheese Pav Bhaji is another popular variation of pav bhaji. You can grate the cheese while serving if you love the bhaji creamier.
• The Jain Pav Bhaji is the one where there’s no onion or garlic in the bhaji. Instead, you can add carrots and potatoes to the bhaji.
• Kala Pav bhajiis where black lentils are used in the bhaji and is known for its high nutritional value. This is high in fibre and helps promote digestion.
• Pav Bhaji Fondue is made by melting bhaji in a fondue pot. You can dip the pav in this bhaji and eat it instantly! This is an excellent option for parties and try pav bhaji fondue for this New Year’s Eve!

How to Serve Pav Bhaji?

• Pav bhaji is served hot with butter smeared pav buns on a plate with two sections.
• Place the pav buns in one section and in another, add the bhaji, with either butter, paneer or cheese as you please.
• You can place the onion slices, a lemon wedge with salad beside the pav buns.
• You can also add freshly chopped coriander to the bhaji, to make it more delicious.

Nutrition in Pav Bhaji

You get carbohydrates from pav, which will help you survive a slow day with lots of energy. You also get vitamin C from tomatoes and vitamins A and C from capsicum.
Here’s a table that represents the nutritional value of 100 gm of pav bhaji:

Is Pav Bhaji Healthy?

Pav bhaji is healthy since it has a fair share of nutrients. You can skip butter or ghee if you are on a diet. It’s rich in fibre since you can prepare it with black lentils. Those who are on a diet and still want pav bhaji can add regular vegetables carrot, beetroot, without potatoes and have it! You can use whole wheat pavs, to increase fibre intake. You can serve a salad with sliced carrots, cucumber, coriander with pav bhaji, so there is a balance in the meal. This is how you can enjoy pav bhaji in a healthy way!

FAQs

1. Which pav bhaji masala is best?
The masala that gives the authentic street-side bhaji taste is the best one, and you can experience this through Suhana’s pav bhaji mix.

2. How do I get a reddish orange colour for pav bhaji?
You can add a little Kashmiri chilli powder to achieve this colour. Add more tomatoes and beetroots if you want the colour to be natural.

3. Can you make pav bhaji vegan?
You can use vegetable oil, skip butter, and ghee; your vegan pav bhaji is ready!

4. What goes well with pav bhaji?
Masala papad and spicy green chutney will be excellent for pav bhaji.

5. Is homemade pav bhaji good?
Homemade pav bhaji is good since you make it from fresh ingredients, leading to a healthy diet!