When I signed up for the street food theme for this Blogging Marathon, I had ideas about exploring street food in all the places I have stayed. But I could hardly look beyond Bombay because I am extremely home sick or more specifically, home food sick and there are so many dishes I associate with in Bombay that it had to be all Bombay street food.

Today’s recipe is the utterly butterly delicious pav bhaji. If you are on a diet or not fond of butter then don’t read any further. The most important ingredient of pav bhaji is the unbelievable amount of butter that goes in. I remember the Juhu & Chowpatty beach pav bhaji where the guy would always have a large slab of butter melting on the tava. The pavs will be roasted in this butter or rather soaked in the butter. When you have that butter dripping pav with the spicy butter topped bhaji, you are usually convinced that ‘agar dharti pe swarg hai, tho yahein hai, yahein hai’. (If there is heaven on earth, then it’s here, it’s here).

This time, I had to make not only the bhaji but also the pav. Though I couldn’t muster the courage to add all that butter, it still is delicious and just succeeded in making me a little more home sick. So here goes –

Recipe source – here

Serves 4

WHAT WE NEED

Ladi pav                               12-15

For the bhaji

Potatoes, medium               3

Cauliflower                             10-12 florets

Carrot, medium                     1

French beans                          6-8

Oil                                               1 tbsp

Onion, medium                      2

Tomato, medium                   1             

Capsicum, medium               1

Red chilly powder                  1 tsp

Garam masala                         1 tsp

Salt

Coriander leaves                     To garnish

WHAT TO DO

• Pressure cook the potatoes, cauliflower, carrots and beans for 3 whistles.
• Peel the potatoes and mash all the vegetables lightly.
• In a large pan, heat the oil
• Add the onions. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes and capsicum and cook till the tomatoes are cooked.
• Add the red chilly powder and garam masala and mix well.
• Add the boiled vegetables and mix well.
• Add salt
• Add 1/2 cup of water and simmer for 10-12 minutes.
• The bhaji has to have a thick consistency. 
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with finely chopped onions and lemon wedges.
• Slit the pav horizontally almost through till it can be opened like a book
• Heat a pan and add butter
• Once the butter melts, open the pav and place it on the butter.
• Let it roast for 1-2 minutes. Repeat for all the pavs
• Enjoy it hot with the bhaji!

NOTES

1. If you want to make the bhaji healthier, then add some sprouted moong along with the vegetables.
2. The amount of butter in the pav is as per your comfort. In this case, more will definitely be tastier
3. You can also add a pinch of red chilly powder on the butter before roasting the pav if you like it spicier.

This is my entry for the Hlogging Marathon under the theme – Street Food

 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for other marathoners doing this BM.