Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

For pressure cooking vegetables:

• Potatoes – 2 small or 1 ½ cups roughly chopped
• Cauliflower – ½ cup, cut into big florets
• Carrots – ½ cup, cut into big pieces
• Green peas – ½ cup
• Water – ¾ cup
• Salt – to taste

For bhaji:

• Butter – 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoons
• Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Garlic paste or freshly grated – 1 tablespoon
• Onion – ¾ cup, finely chopped
• Salt – to taste
• Capsicum or green bell pepper – ½ cup, finely chopped
• Tomatoes – 2 ½ cups, finely chopped
• Pav bhaji masala – 1 ½ tablespoons
• Garam Masala- 1/2 tablespoons
• Red chili powder – 1 tablespoon
• Water – 1 to 1 ½ cups
• Cilantro or coriander leaves – 2-3 tablespoons, finely chopped

For tosting pav/buns:

• Ladi pav – 8-10
• Butter or butter spread – 1 tablespoon

For serving:

• Onion – ½ cup, finely chopped
• Lemon – 1, cut into wedges
• Butter – as needed, to add on top of the bhaji

Method:

• Take chopped potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and green peas in the pressure cooker.
• Add salt and ¾ cups of water. Mix it. It looks like there is not much water in it. But that is ok, while cooking water leaves its own water and consistency will be fine. if added too much water then it will be too watery.
• Cover the cooker with lid, put the weight on. Turn the heat on medium. Let it cook for 3-4 whistles. 
• While it is cooking,u can chop other ingredients for bhaji. Let the pressure go down by itself. Then open the lid.
• Mash it using potato masher.
• Don’t make it like a puree, it should be little chunky. Keep it aside.
• For Bhaji
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in pan on medium heat.
• Once hot add cumin seeds. Let them sizzle a bit.
• Then add garlic paste, cook for a minute. Or till the raw smell of garlic goes away.
• Then add chopped onions. Sprinkle some salt so that it will cook fast. Cook till onions are light brown in color.
• Add chopped capsicum and mix. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Capsicum will get soften.
• Add chopped tomatoes. Mix well and cook. Tomatoes will get soft and juicy. Let all the water gets evaporated. Cook till it becomes chunky yet thick paste.
• Add pav bhaji masala, garam masala, salt as per taste and red chili powder.
• Mix well and cook for a minute.
• Then add prepared mashed veggies.Mix well. And add some water. Adjust the water quantity as per your taste. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add 1 tablespoon of butter and Cover the pan and let the butter gets melt.
• Once butter is almost melted (about in 2 minutes), open the lid. Stir it well.
• Then again add 1 tablespoon of butter, cover and let it melt.
• Once melted, stir well so everything gets incorporated well. Again add last tablespoon of butter and repeat the same process. This makes really smooth and buttery.
• Turn off the stove. Lastly add chopped coriander leaves.
• Mix well and keep it covered.
• For Pav
• Now to toast the buns, Cut into half horizontally. Spread the butter on both the sides using butter knife.
• heat the pan on medium heat. Once hot place the butter side facing down on the pan.
• Once gets golden brown from one side, turn it around the toast other side. Other sides (meaning the top side) should be very lightly toasted. Remove it to a platter. and repeat for rest of the pav.
• Now serve the warm bhaji on the plate with dollop of butter on top. On side serve some chopped onions, lemon wedges and pav.

Note:

• For the different taste, you can add cabbage, eggplant, green beans while pressure cooking the vegetables. Taste of the bhaji will depend on which vegetables you are using.
• Potato is the base of the gravy, so use the enough potatoes compared to the other vegetables.