Paav Bhaaji

# of servings:  8-10	Soak Time:  None
Preparation Time:  20 mins	Cook Time:  1 hr + 20 mins

Spelled as pav bhaji too,  this dish is popular street food in many parts of India.  Made with many varieties of vegetables, it is both delicious and nutritious at the same time.  A piece of the roasted bun dipped in the veggies simmered in spices is a piece of heaven in itself!  It is relished by young and old alike. 

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 medium head 
• Cabbage - quarter head
• Carrots - 3
• Green beans - 1 cup (chopped)
• Green peas - 1 cup
• Potatoes - 2 large
• Bell peppers - 2 
• Tomatoes - 4
• Onions - 2 + 1
• Ginger - 2 inches
• Garlic - 6-7 pods
• Green chili paste - 1 tsp
• Red chili powder - 0.5 tsp
• Turmeric - 0.5 tsp
• Paav bhaaji masala - 3 tbsp 
• Lemon - 1 
• Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp
• Paav/Buns - 16 to 20
• Salt to taste
• Butter or Ghee (or) any preferred oil for vegan - 4-6 tbsp

Method:

• Chop cauliflower, cabbage and carrots into big chunks
• Chop green beans small
• Finely chop bell peppers, onions and tomatoes
• Grate ginger and garlic
• Zest and squeeze the lemon juice
• Chop coriander leaves finely
• Add all these into a pressure cooker vessel 
• Add peas and whole potatoes on the top
• Add salt enough for the vegetables and add a cup of water
• Close the lid and pressure cook ('Pressure' mode for 6 mins in IP)
• Heat 3 tbsp of butter/ghee in another vessel ('Saute' mode in IP)
• Add grated ginger, garlic, turmeric and green chili paste
• When aromatic, add chopped bell peppers and saute for a minutes
• Add chopped onions and saute for a minute
• Add chopped tomatoes  and saute again for a minute
• Add the paav bhaaji masala, salt and mix well
• Cover and cook for 10 minutes
• Mash to incorporate well
• Mash the cooked whole potatoes and other veggies well
• Add them to the tomatoes and spices cooking
• Mix well and add a little water if it is too thick
• Cover, simmer and cook well for another 8-10 mins (so the flavors blend well together)
• Add red chili powder, another tsp of paav bhaaji masala and mix well
• Turn off the heat 
• Add lemon zest, lemon juice and mix well
• Slice the paav/buns in half, apply some butter/ghee and roast on a pan till golden on both sides
• Scoop out the cooked vegetables into a cup, top with chopped raw onions, coriander leaves, some butter/ghee, and a slice of lemon (optional)
• Serve hot with the roasted paav/buns on the side! 

Tips and Tricks:

• Chopping the bell peppers, onions and tomatoes finely expedites the saute process
• Cauliflower, cabbage and carrots don't need to be chopped fine as they will mash well anyway
• Mashing all the veggies well gives a better texture to the dish
• Be sure to not add too much water as the bhaaji should not be runny 
• It is important to cook the spices till they are aromatic, before adding the mashed vegetables
• Different brands of paav bhaaji masala taste differently.  Finding what one likes is a personal choice
• The bhaaji (veggies) can be cooked ahead and paav (buns) can be roasted just before serving

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: