Pav bhaji is an Indian snack made of a thick curry with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and cauliflower, served with a buttered and spiced wheat bun. It can be eaten as a bowl or sandwich and is popular in cities and homes. The recipe is flexible and can include different vegetables and spices.
Pav bhaji is a type of Indian snack or fast food. It consists of a thick curry made up mostly of potatoes, tomatoes, onions, and cauliflower and is served with a wheat bun that has been buttered, deep-fried, and doused in spices. The dish can be served in a bowl with bread on the side, or it can be made into a sandwich for a convenient meal on the go. In many of India’s largest cities, pav bhaji is often eaten as a lunch or light snack before a more formal dinner, and is sold both in restaurants and street food stalls. Depending on the region, there are a few alternative versions of pav bhaji, including a variety that uses bananas instead of potatoes to cater for the dietary needs of people following the Jain religion.
The pav bhaji recipe is flexible, because it was originally created so that the food could be prepared quickly for workers who had a very short lunch break. Initially, vendors would simply combine the leftover ingredient from other dishes or combine several curries, but a single consistent recipe gradually developed. Outside of India’s big cities, pav bhaji is routinely made in homes when time is short and a meal needs to be put together quickly.
The preparation of pav bhaji starts by frying the onions and garlic in oil. Diced tomatoes are added to the pan along with vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, peas and green peppers. Hot peppers and spices are also placed in the pan, usually adjusted to the cook’s tastes. A particular type of spice blend called pav bhaji masala is often used, and is so popular that it is sold commercially.
Once the other ingredients have softened, the potatoes are added to the pan along with a small amount of water. The potatoes are cooked until soft and then, with the back of a spoon, all the ingredients are gently mashed together and reduced to the desired consistency. While the curry is reducing, the small loaves of brown bread are split, coated in butter and quickly fried on both sides until lightly browned.
A thin pav bhaji can be served in a bowl with sprigs of fresh coriander on top and a pat of butter in the center to give the dish a richer texture. If the curry is reduced in the pan until very thick, it can be placed directly on bread and eaten as a sandwich. More of the pav bhaji masala can be sprinkled on the bread and curry right before it is eaten to provide a more robust flavour.
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