Pav Bhaji

 Pav is a soft indian bread and Bhaji is a vegetable curry that goes along with it. You will find Pav Bhaji in almost every road side eatery in Mumbai, India. No doubt it is delicious and mouth watering but if you make it at home it turns out to be healthy as well. 

 I use to make Bhaji whenever I feel like it and buy Pav from the Indian store. Thus whipping up a quick and tasty meal. Few days ago I ran into the thought of making Pav from scratch. Why not? It's just bread after all. I read and saw few recipes online and made by own laddi Pav. It turned out so well that I doubt I will buy Pav from Indian store ever again. 

 The recipe below might look like a lot to do but it is not. I have listed everything in detail and that's the only reason it runs so long. 

Pav Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups - Flour(all purpose flour/1.5cups whole wheat flour and 1.5 cups all purpose flour)1 and 1/4 cup - Warm water1 packet/2tsp - Active instant yeast2 tbsp - Sugar1 tbsp - Salt
3-4tbsp - Melted butter

Preparation:

1. Take a deep and wide glass/ceramic bowl. Pour the warm water, add yeast and sugar. Mix well and leave aside for 10 mins. 
2. After 10 mins you will see bubbles/froth and that is what we are looking for. 
3. Add salt, flour and melted butter to this and knead it into a dough. 
4. The dough should be sticky and elastic. 
5. You can add a little flour(max 1/4th cup) while kneading but be sure it does not become as dry as a chapati dough. 
6. Adding excess dough will make the Pav hard in the end. 
7. Take the dough and apply oil/butter on all sides and keep it back in the bowl.
8. Cover with moist towel and keep it inside the oven(without switching it on). 
9. Let it rest for one hour or a little more for the dough to rise. After which remove the towel and the dough should have risen to double of what it was. 
10. Take the dough and make small equal balls. Place them on a greased(with butter and flour) tray 1-1.5inches apart.
11. Paste each ball with milk or oil(to enrich the color when baking).
12. Cover the tray with moist towel(make sure the towel doesn't touch the dough balls after it has risen). 
13. Let it rest in the oven for 1hr. After an hour the dough will have risen and be touching each other. 
14. Preheat the oven to 450F. Place the tray in the oven and let it bake for 8-10 mins. 
15. After you see the golden crust remove the Pav and let it cool on a wire rack. 
16. And your Pav is ready. Remains fresh for 3-4 days outside in a ziplock bag.

Bhaji Recipe

Ingredients:

To boil
1/4 cauliflower
1 big potato
10 french beans
1/2 cup peas
1 green bell pepper
1/2 carrot

To Saute
5 tomatoes chopped finely/pureed
2 med-large onions chopped finely
1 tbsp ginger garlic chopped finely
1tsp Jeera

Spices
1 green chilli chopped finely
3-4tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1tsp amchur
1/2tsp black salt
one handful crushed kasoori methi

To Garnish
3-4 tbsp Butter
Coriander leaves/onion to garnish
1 lemon
Oil as required
Salt as required

Preparation:

1. Chop into big pieces and boil all the veggies(in the 'To boil' section) with a little salt and 1 cup water in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
2. Take a shallow wide kadai, add oil and jeera when the oil is hot. Let it splutter. 
3. Add onions and ginger garlic to it. 
4. Fry until the raw smell goes away and the the mix turns golden brown.
5. Add the items mentioned in the 'Spices' section and let it roast. 
6. Add 1tbsp butter if there is not enough oil to roast the masalas. 
7. Add the tomatoes. And cook till the mix leaves oil(~15mins). Add little salt.
8. Once the pressure is released from the cooker, open it and drain all the excess water if any(You can use this for soup base). 
9. Mash the boiled veggies to a paste.
10. Add to the tomato mixture and mix well. 
11. If the mix is too dry add little water from the excess water stored earlier. 
12. Add 2tbsp butter and kasoori methi. 
13. Add salt as required after tasting. 
14. Close with a lid and cook for 10 mins in low-med flame.
15. If the bhaji is not sour enough, add little lime juice or amchur.
16. The consistently should not be runny nor very dry. 
17. Switch off, garnish with coriander leaves, onion and butter.

For serving:

1. Slice each Pav into two. 
2. Take a tawa. Keep it in low flame. 
3. Add butter, little salt and Pav Bhaji masala. 
4. Once its hot, place the pav pieces on it and toast the pav on both sides.
5. Repeat for as many Pavs as needed.
6. Serve the Pav(s) with bhaji and a side of chopped onions and lemon.