Pav Bhaji - easy version

Pav Bhaji basically needs no introduction.  It is one of the most liked and favorite street food for many . Though it is loaded with vegetables which are healthy the downside is the oodles of butter that goes into the making of this lipsmacking street food . In my opinion, if you have to eat it right and you are diet conscious or a health freak keep this for your CHEAT DAY and enjoy it the way it is to be eaten ....yea you got it right...buttery bhaji with butter toasted paav .. aah am drooling even as I am writing this .

I already have 2 versions of pav bhaji mentioned in my blog which you can check 

Pav Bhaji (regular)

Pav Bhaji (half Jain- sans Onion and Garlic)

Today's version was shared by my good friend Priyadarshini .As we were casually chatting, she said she prepared pav bhaji using layering technique to cook the veggies and then finally roasted the pavbhaji masala in butter to which the mashed veggies are added and viola we have yummy lipsmacking pavbhaji in less than 30 mins. 

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 25 to 35 mins

Serves  - 2 to 3

Complexity- easy 

Ingredients

2 to 3 medium sized potatoes 

1 medium sized capsicum 

1 cup fresh or frozen peas 

3 to 4 medium sized tomatoes 

10-15 Cauliflower florets 

1 small onion

1 lemon

1.5 tsp ginger garlic paste (optional)

Or

1 tsp ginger paste 

Salt as needed 

1 tsp turmeric powder 

2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala 

2 tsp red chilli powder 

1 tsp dhaniya powder 

1/2 tsp jeera 

100 gms salted butter 

Pinch of sugar 

Method 

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into medium sized cubes .
• Chop the  onion,tomatoes and capsicum into cubes 
• In a cooker,start layering the vegetables 
• Layer the bottom with onions , garlic paste followed by tomatoes over it and then the peas , capsicum, cauliflower and lastly the potatoes. 
• Sprinkle some salt and haldi powder . You can sprinkle some water and then close the lid and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles and let the pressure settle down.
• Open the cooker and finely mash the vegetables with a masher or electric blender .
• In a pan , melt about 2  to 3 tablespoons of butter and fry the jeera , followed by the dry spice powders and carefully fry them on slow flame without burning it . 
• Now , add the mashed veggies to this flavored butter  with a pinch of sugar , mix it well and let it cook till the butter starts oozing out . 
• Roast the paav in butter and serve the bhaaji with a garnish of fresh corriander , half a lime and freshly chopped onions .

Notes

If you want to make it sans onion and garlic, skip those two ingredients and follow the process as is. 

If making Jain version, skip the onion, garlic , ginger and use raw banana instead of potato . Process remains the same .

If you have a cast iron wok/kadai , use that for the traditional touch . It gives a very nice flavor to the pav bhaji .