Pav Bhaji - Lahri Style

This brought back so many memories of dirty stalls and great food.  We used to joke that the food wouldn't be as tasty if the sweat of the cook and dirty hands didn't fall into the food.  A joke is all it is because the pav bhaji I made from this recipe I found online made my senses take a trip back home.  I added no sweat and it was made in my squeaky clean kitchen. This recipe takes some stamina with all the mashing and stirring and heat exposure, but it is definitely worth it.  Since I didn't deviate from the recipe much I am going to just post a link to the video I found online from ifood.tv. 

I would add green beans to the recipe however because after all the work it tasted a lot like spiced mashed potatoes.  So boil some green beans and mash those in there as well.  If you are worried about portion size then omit a potato.  I know you want to pull out your food processor for this, but all the smashing over the hot flame really does make a difference.




Here is the link: http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/pav_bhaji

And here is the recipe from the site:

Ingredients:

Pav/Bun : 8

Bell Pepper : 1 (big)
Potatoes : 2 (big)
Peas : Half a cup
Green Beans : Half a cup I would double this amount.
Cauliflower : Half a cup
Onions : 2 (big)
Tomatoes : 3 (big)
Red Chilly Powder : 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder : a pinch
Pav Bhaji Masala : 2 tbsp
Asafetida : a pinch
Vegetable oil : 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Butter : 1 stick
Ginger-Garlic Paste : 2 tbsp
Lemon : 2
Coriander leaves
Fenugreek  leaves

How to make Pav Bhaji

The recipe given here is more in-house cooking friendly whereas the video is a little different and depicts the way Pav Bhaji is made in stalls. I made it using the technique that I saw on the video.


To make the Bhaji:

1. Clean and cut the vegetables. Pressure cook them (except tomatoes). Peel the potatoes. Drain the vegetables and keep aside.
2. Finely chop the onions and tomatoes.
3. Heat a pan. Add oil and heat till smoky. Add asafetida (optional) and stir. Add chopped onion and sauté until it turns light golden brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a while, then add tomatoes and cook till they become tender.
4. Sprinkle turmeric powder and stir. Add red chilly powder, salt and pav-bhaji masala and cook till the mixture acquires a rich, roasted colour.
5. Now add all the vegetables and start mashing. Keep mashing and stirring till the mixture becomes an inconsistent paste. Add chopped coriander leaves and squeeze one lemon. Again, mix and mash. Once the mixture becomes a mush and no ingredients are recognizable, add fenugreek leaves and mix well. The bhaji is ready. (Important : You must keep mashing the vegetables all the while. Keep adding water from time to time to allow the mixture to cook and to prevent it from sticking to the pan)

For Pav (Bread):

Slit the pavs/buns horizontally. Heat 1 tbsp of butter. Add finely chopped coriander leaves, a pinch of red chilly powder and 1 tsp of pav bhaji masala. Saute for 15-20 secs. Roast the horizontally slit pavs/buns (8 in no.) in the pan so that they soak the butter and masala and become soft.

To serve:

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves, onion and a lemon wedge. Add a blob of butter to the bhaji.