← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 400 g Potato, peeled and cubed
• 250 g Cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 1 Carrot, diced (optional)
• 75 g Peas
• 600 ml water, divided
• 4 tbsp butter, divided
• 1 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cm piece Ginger, finely chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 Green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 400 g Tomato, finely chopped
• 1½ tbsp pav bhaji masala, plus extra to sprinkle
• 2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• ¼ tsp Ground turmeric
• 1¼ tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tsp Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) (optional)
• 1 lemon or lime, half juiced, half cut into wedges
• 3 tbsp Coriander (cilantro), chopped
• 8 pav or soft white dinner rolls
• 2 tbsp butter, for toasting the pav
• 1 Red onion, finely chopped

Method

1. Put the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and peas in a pan with 400 ml of the water and a pinch of salt. Cover and simmer for 15 min, until very soft. Mash roughly in their cooking water.
2. In a wide, heavy frying pan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then the onions, and cook for 6–8 min, until soft and golden.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for 1 minute, then the green pepper for 3 min. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook for 6–8 min, mashing with a potato masher, until completely soft and pulpy.
4. Stir in the pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and turmeric for 1 minute. Add the mashed vegetables and the remaining 200 ml water and mash everything together well.
5. Simmer for 8–10 min, stirring and mashing often, until thick but still spoonable. Stir in the remaining butter, kasuri methi, lemon juice and most of the coriander.
6. Slice the rolls open without separating them. Heat a little butter in a frying pan with a pinch of pav bhaji masala and toast the rolls for 1 minute per side, until golden.
7. Serve the bhaji hot with an extra knob of butter, the warm pav, chopped red onion, coriander and lemon wedges.

Tips

• Pav bhaji masala is a specific spice blend sold in Indian shops; ordinary garam masala gives a different, less tangy result.
• Contains dairy and wheat. For vegan pav bhaji, use oil or vegan butter and check the rolls.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Swasthi's Recipes Cook With Manali Ministry of Curry