Mumbai Pav Bhaji with Butter-Toasted Buns

Photo: Rupali Banarase · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source

Mumbai's beloved street food: a buttery, spiced mash of potatoes, cauliflower, peas and peppers cooked down on the griddle, scooped up with soft buns toasted in more butter.

Ingredients

• 1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped (save 3 tbsp to serve)
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 4 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 green chili, minced
• 6 tbsp butter (divided)
• 8 soft buns or dinner rolls
• 1 lemon, in wedges
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped

From your pantry: 1 tbsp oil, 1½ tbsp pav bhaji masala (or 2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground cumin and 1 tsp ground coriander), 1½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder or paprika, ¼ tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional), 1 tsp salt.

Instructions

1. Simmer the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and peas in salted water until very soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Drain, saving ½ cup water, and mash well.
2. Melt 2 tbsp butter with the oil in a wide skillet over medium. Cook the onion until translucent, 4 minutes, then the garlic, ginger and chili for 1 minute. Add the bell pepper and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook, mashing with the spoon, until they break down completely, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chili powder, turmeric and pav bhaji masala and cook 2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add the mashed vegetables and enough of the saved water to make a thick, spoonable bhaji. Mash and stir together for 5 minutes, then add the fenugreek and 2 tbsp butter. Taste for salt and spice.
5. Split the buns, spread with the remaining butter and a pinch of masala, and toast cut side down in a skillet until golden. Serve the bhaji topped with raw onion and cilantro, with lemon and the warm buns.

Tip: A store-bought pav bhaji masala (Everest or MDH) is worth buying: it is the flavor of the dish. A potato masher used right in the pan gives the classic smooth-but-rustic texture.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Swasthi's Recipes.

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