Pav Bhaji Recipe (Stovetop & Instant Pot ) (2024)

Pav bhaji is a tasty and popular Indian street food. It is originally from Mumbai but loved alike across the country. Pav means buttery rolls or Indian buns and bhaji is a spicy mashed vegetable dish. It is a whole meal served with some crispy raw onions and lemon wedges.

This recipe will help you make easy, authentic and best mumbai Pavpav bhaji just like the ones from streets of Mumbai. I am sharing step by step recipe with video and also an easy instant pot or pressure cooker method.

For more street foods please check pani puri, ragda patties, aloo tikki, chole bhature recipes.

Though classified as snack pav bhaji is quiet a meal in itself. When you have some hearty and spicy mash of veggies served with buttery soft rolls or pav along with some onions it is no less than a fancy meal :).

We used to eat this from a small shop nearby our home but once I started making pav bhaji at home we are all hooked to these homemade ones. I have been making this dish for more than a decade at home and I am so happy to share this recipe with you all.

We made and ate pav bhaji last weekend and fell in love with it all over again 🙂 A truly comforting dish that you would not want to miss!

Here are more details about the dish, why this recipe works, detailed step by step guide with video, easy pav bhaji in instant pot and loads of tips & tricks 🙂 Let’s get started!

What Is Pav Bhaji?

Pav bhaji is a popular Indian street food consisting of a spicy mashed vegetable gravy served with soft toasted buns. It is served with a side of finely chopped onions, coriander leaves and lemon wedges.

The bhaji is made with a mix of vegetables and spiced with a special spice powder called pav bhaji masala. Every street vendor has his own variation for this masala and also the proportion of vegetables used varies.

The taste and flavor of bhaji greatly depends on the quality of masala powder used. After trying out various brands, I have come to the conclusion nothing tastes like homemade spice powder. If I am choose a brand, I would go for MDH pav bhaji masala powder or Badshah brand. Here in this post I am also including a quick recipe for making this spice powder at home.

The vegetables commonly used in bhaji are potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, green peas and capsicum. Each of these vegetables add a unique flavor and taste to the bhaji, so I highly recommend you add all of these.

The other ingredients used in making mumbai pav bhaji are usual suspects like red chili powder, ginger garlic paste

The proportion of these vegetables for mashed veggies bghaji do vary from home to home or shop to shop. I personally like to cauliflower or gobi for its amazing flavor in delicious pav bhaji. I feel the flavor of bhaji is not as robust when made with mostly potatoes.

In restaurants and street shops, this bhaji is always made in an extra large sizes iron griddle called tava. The bhaji keeps simmering for hours, so that they could serve pav bhaji piping hot for their customers. You can use any big heavy pan or pot or pressure cooker base while making at home.

Have you noticed how red and vibrant the bhaji from restaurants are? Well most of the street carts and restaurants obviously add colorants but we can easily achieve it at home without any colors, read on to know how.

Pav is soft bread made of plain flour similar to dinner rolls. It is easily available in supermarkets and grocery stores. You can also easily make pav at home with very few basic ingredients. Here is my recipe for making pav at home.

Mumbai Pav bhaji is always served piping hot with finely chopped onions, lemon wedges and coriander leaves. You have to mix the raw onions with bhaji and squeeze the lemon juice before eating, they add so much flavor, taste and crunch!

Along with classic version there are many more variations like cheese pav bhaji, jain pav bhaji, paneer pav bhaji etc.

Along with pav bhaji samosa, vada pav, masala pav, pav sandwich are few more popular street foods from Mumbai.

Why This Recipe Works

This delicious recipe of pav bhaji is from Mom’s collection dating many years back. She got this from her colleague who is also her friend from Mumbai. We have been making this dish for years following this recipe and it always turns out excellent.

This bhaji is so delicious, flavorful with perfect balance of heat and spices. As mentioned before adding a good quantity of cauliflower lends this bhaji as robust flavor and taste.

Another vegetable that I do not miss while making pav bhaji is capsicum. Capsicum or bell pepper adds a wonderful flavor and crunch to the bhaji.

When made at home you can add a chockablock of vegetables and make the bhaji healthier. Of course it has a good amount of butter but making at home is surely better than the ones from restaurants.

Next the spice powder used here is homemade best pav bhaji masala powder that is so fresh and is a perfect blend of various whole spices. This spice blend lends a wonderful taste and flavor that is so unique to this bhaji.

In this post I am sharing two ways to make pav bhaji. One is the traditional method where you first steam the vegetables and then cook them into a gravy with sauteed onion, tomato and capsic*ms. In second method we will use an instant pot or pressure cooker for making pav bhaji.

This post also contains a detailed step by+ step guide and a video along with loads of tips and variations. Hope you will try this recipe and enjoy! This Mumbai pav bhaji recipe is

so easy to make

taste just like mumbai street food pav bhaji

so satiating & filling

Fun street food to recreate at home

vegetarian

Ingredients You Will Need

Pav- Pav buns or pao is a soft fluffy dinner rolls like bun very popular in India. Pav is derived from the Portuguese word pao which means bread. Along with pav bhaji, these rolls are used in misal pav, vada pav recipes. I usually make pav at home but it is easily available in bakeries and some grocery stores too.

If pav is not available you can use dinner rolls or burger buns too.

Vegetables– Assorted mixed vegetables are used in bhaji to make it flavorful, delicious and colorful. I use a mix of potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, peas, capsicum.

Most of the pav bhaji served in street shops do not have cauliflower or carrots. They are typically made of potatoes, tomatoes and onions.

Spice powder– The unique spice powder used for this dish is easily available in Indian grocery stores. I have also shared a brief recipe for making pav bhaji masala powder below.

Butter– The key ingredient for pav bhaji that you should not skimp is butter. Good amount of butter is used for making bhaji as well as toasting pav. I always prefer to use amul salted butter for its amazing flavor and taste. For a vegan version just use vegan butter. All the ingredients are vegan only.

To serve– Loads of finely chopped raw onions, coriander leaves and lemon wedges.

Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala Powder Recipe

This is a small batch recipe to make pav bhaji masala powder that you can use for making pav bhaji 4-5 times. I have dry roasted the spices here but if you are making a big batch you can sun dry the spices for 3-4 days or until they turn crispy.

Pick and measure the following spices

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2.5 tablespoons coriander seeds

2 black cardamom

1.5 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds

6 dried red chilies

1.5 inch cinnamon

5 cloves

1/2 star anise

1/2 teaspoon amchur or dry mango powder

3 pinches of grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder

3 strands of mace

Dry roast all the spices expect mace, nutmeg and dry mango powder. Let cool and grind to a fine powder along with mace, nutmeg and amchur.

Let the spice powder cool down a bit so let off the heat from the grinder. Store pav bhaji masala powder in a clean fry jar and use a dry spoon to use as required.

How To Make Pav Bhaji

Cooking vegetables

Rinse, peel and chop carrots, potatoes into big chunks. String the green beans or French beans and chop them too.

Separate the cauliflower into big florets.

Shell the green peas and set aside. Also finely chop the capsic*ms, onion and tomatoes. You can use frozen green peas too, no need to thaw or steam, just add along with onions. You will need 1/2 cup green peas.

Steam or pressure cook cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, peas and beans until soft & tender with a pinch of salt and turmeric. Drain excess water and mash the vegetables slightly. Set the mashed vegetables aside.

Making Bhaji

While the veggies are cooing, heat 3 tablespoons butter in another pan. Add cumin seeds and temper. Add slit green chilies, ginger and garlic and saute well. You can also use 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste. Next add 1/2 cup chopped onions and saute till the color changes slightly.

Add 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers and saute briefly.

Next add chopped tomatoes and saute till it mushy and butter is released from sides.

Add the cooked veggies and mix well. Keep mashing the bhaji here and there using a potato masher while cooking. Add Kashmiri red chilli powder, turmeric powder, pav bhaji masala powder, garam masala, salt, sugar and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add 1 1/2 cups water and mix. Let the bhaji simmer for 5-7 minutes. Once it is thick and smooth, add a dollop of butter and chopped coriander leaves. Do not make the bhaji very thick as it thickens considerably on cooling. Once done set the prepared bhaji aside.

Toasting Pav

To toast pav first of all the slit each pav bun into two. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a tawa or skillet. Once the butter melts, lower the heat and few chopped coriander leaves and 1/2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala powder. Spread well.

Place the slit pav on hot skillet and toast well from both sides.

Serving pav bhaji

Pav bhaji is usually served in a segmented plate as seen in the photos here. Place butter toasted pav in the plate. Add piping hot bhaji to bowl or another segment and add a dollop of butter. Place finely chopped raw onions, coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve pav bhaji piping hot.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Or Instant Pot Method

This is an easy method yet equally delicious one. In fact these days I make pav bhaji in instant pot only as it is super easy and does not need constant attention.

To make instant pot pav bhaji, you don’ts have to steam or cook the vegetables beforehand. Juts chop and keep them ready. The quantities of all ingredients remain the same as mentioned in the recipe.

1. Place the steel insert inside your instant pot and switch it on.
2. Add butter and let it melt. Add cumin seeds and fry for 10-15 seconds.
3. Next add chopped onions and saute until they turn slightly soft.
4. Next add chopped tomatoes, followed by pav bhaji masala powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder and garam masala powder. Mix and cook until the tomatoes turn a bit soft.
5. Now add the vegetables and mix well. Add 2.5 cups water, deglaze the pot well and mix thoroughly. Add salt to taste.
6. Cancel saute button. Close the IP and press pressure cooker or manual button. Set timer for 8 minutes and pressure valve to seal.
7. Once the IP beeps after the set time, release pressure gently and simmer the bhaji for another 3-4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/2 tablespoon butter if you like.
8. Toast the pav in butter and serve pav bhaji piping hot with raw onions, lemon or lime wedges and coriander leaves.

Pro Tips

Do not skimp on butter– this is the one important tip that we have to follow to make best pav bhaji at home. No matter how flavorful the spice powder you use, the bhaji will not taste the same without the butter it requires. If you should really cut down the butter, you can make the bhaji in oil but add butter towards the end and for toasting pav.

The taste of the bhaji will vary as per the vegetables used and their proportions. For making pav bhaji we use cauliflower, potatoes, carrot, green peas, capsicum and beans. There are continuous debates over the proportion of veggies used. In some recipes you will see that cauliflower is used in large amounts while in some recipes it is mostly potatoes.

I prefer to use equal amount of potatoes and gobi. Few recipes also call for beets but I do not prefer to use beets. Beetroot is used for color but to get that red color in pav bhaji you can use kashmiri red chili powder or make a smooth paste of 1 teaspoon red chili powder in few drops of oil and add to the bhaji.

If you prefer a very smooth bhaji you can thoroughly mash the cooked vegetables using a potato masher and for chunkier bhaji, mash them roughly as I did.

For cooking vegetables I prefer to use pressure cooker. You can also steam them for 15 minutes or use an instant pot (6 minutes, pressure cooker or manual mode with pressure valve sealed).

The consistency of bhaji should be thick yet a bit flowing like a thick soup. Do not make it super thick. Make it slightly runny as it thickens considerably on cooling.

If the prepared bhaji turns out very thick, you can add 1/2 cup water and simmer until it thins down.

Always serve pav bhaji with finely chopped onion and lemon wedges. You can also mix 1/2 cup chopped raw onions and 2 tablespoons lemon juice to the whole batch after removing from flame.

Variations

Given to its popularity, this dish has a come a long way and there are so many varieties of pav bhaji available in restaurants and street side shops. Keeping the essence of bhaji same, you can easily make many variations and enjoy different flavors.

Cheese pav bhaji recipe– While serving you can add 1/4 cup grated cheese like cheddar or processed cheese per serving. Cheese melts in hot bhaji and tastes amazing.

Jain pav bhaji– To make this jain version of bhaji skip onion, potatoes and garlic. Instead of potatoes you can steam, peel and mash 1 large raw banana or plantain and add. Onion and garlic can be simply skipped.

Paneer pav bhaji-This one is simple. While making bhaji just toss 1 cup chopped paneer cubes or grated paneer and mix well.

Kada pav bhaji- It is a simpler version where the steamed vegetables are not mashed. Just chop, cook and add them to onion tomato masala. Do not mash the vegetables.

Punjabi pav bhaji– Made with generous quantities of whole garam masala or whole spices and loads of butter.

Kala pav bhaji– Here instead of pav bhaji masala, the popular Maharastrian kala masala or goda masala is added.

Frequently Asked Questions

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