Pav Bhaji is a popular street food across India, especially in the West and when you make it with some homemade pav bhaji masala, you just can’t resist it!
Some days ago, when I was craving for an authentic Pav Bhaji, I posted on my FB Page asking which is the Pav Bhaji Masala which people prefer! There were a variety of responses and it seems like there was a divide between MDH and Everest. With both the parties backing their masala as the best, I must admit I got a bit confusion. Then Smitha came and said she makes her own Pav Bhaji Masala. This made me think why not try that. So I exchanged a couple of messaages with her and then went on to google to do some surfing and set out to make my own homemade pav bhaji masala.
I have always been a sucker for home made and fresh stuff. Long ago I moved to fresh homemade sambhar powder and there has been no looking back ever since! It is a standard way of making sambhar at our house most of the time. So when I read about the fresh pav bhaji masala, I had a strong feeling its going to be the same way as the sambhar powder. Make it fresh and gobble it up!
I served the pav bhaji with some freshly baked pav at home using the dinner roll recipe.
While browsing the net for some more pav bhaji tips, I saw a video which was shot at a pav bhaji vendor at Chowpatty, Mumbai. The vendor said while heating the pav for the bhaji, add a little bit of pav bhaji masala in the butter. I followed this tip and the difference it made was so huge to the final dish! I think, with this, I have finally found my perfect pav bhaji in Bangalore and yes, its served at my house now.
Source – Many recipes combined into one.
Pav Bhaji with Home Made Pav Bhaji Masala
Ingredients
For Masala
- 4 cardamoms Black
- 1/4 cup coriander seeds
- 1/8 cup cumin seeds
- 1/8 cup black pepper Whole
- 2 tbsps seeds Panch Phoran
- 6 chillies Whole (red dry)
- 5 and 1/2 inchs cinnamon pieces
- 2 tbsps mango powder Dry
- 1 tsps nutmeg grated or powder
- 1 tsp salt black
For pav bhaji
- 4 potatoes boiled and mashed
- 6- 7 tomatoes large chopped
- 2 onions large finely chopped
- 1 capsicum finely chopped
- 1 cup cauliflower grated
- 1 cup green peas boiled and mashed
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 3 tbsps pav bhaji masala freshly made
- 1 tbsp mirchi deggi (for the color)
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsps butter
Instructions
- Dry roast all the whole masalas till they are nice and fragrant, turn down the gas and add the powder masalas to the it. Roast for another minute and turn off the gas.
- Let it completely cool and then grind to a powder and your fresh pav bhaji masala is ready! Yup its so easy and after all this, why would anyone want to buy it?
- Now that my pav bhaji masala was ready, guess what I did next?Yes 100% marks to those who guessed that I made pav bhaji of course and if any of you were thinking something else, go get your brain checked 😉
- In a pan, heat some butter, add onions to it and fry till they become nicely brown and translucent.
- Add the ginger - garlic paste, saute for one minute and add half the tomatoes.
- Stir fry till the tomatoes are nicely done and the butter starts leaving the sides.
- At this stage put all your vegetables and add water so that all of them are nicely immersed in water.
- Add one tbsp of butter and bring to a boil and let it simmer on medium flame for about 15 minutes.
- Using a potato masher, mash your vegetables nicely, add the chilli powder, the pav bhaji masala and roast for 2 minutes.
- Add the rest of the tomatoes, mix and let it cook for about 15 more minutes stirring occasionally. If you like your bhaji really mashed, keep mashing it as you stir.
- Your bhaji is now ready.
superb !
I had home made pav bhaji and after reading this , I am craving again 😀
Ah thank you, Mom was looking to make the masala in the house herself. So this recipe for it will come very handy 🙂
wow!!! So u tried it 🙂
Good good!!! It is look good & yummy!
Been meaning to make pav bhaji at home. Definitely need to try this. Thanks! 🙂
Home-made pav bhaji masala! Totally a worth try. Thanks for sharing!
This pav bhaji pic has been my morning entertainment on a certain page for a few days, as you know ;). It looks amazing, and you make it sound simple. A must try for me soon!
Looks great Mon! An inspiration to make my own masala!
vry good
what on earth are panch phoran seeds. where is it avaialble? is there some substitute? The rest seems easy enough and I am going to make it – inlcuding the bread 🙂
hi Monica…the quantity of masala u prepared is only for one time usage i mean whole masala is used for single bhaaji …please reply
no it will make more masala but I can be stored in a airtight container for upto a month
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panch_phoron is a bengali mix of spice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panch_phoron
When to boil the veggies & put in the onion masala?
The vegetables are pre boiled and it is mentioned in the post on when to add !
i was very comfortable while repeating this recipe at my kitchen i think i made it up to the mark. thank you for this recipe.
I was very comfortable while performing this recipe at home , following your blog. thank you so much i think i made it up to the mark.