Loaded with veggies and butter, Pav bhaji is one of the most loved street food in India. Learn how to make Pav bhaji in an Instant Pot or a traditional pressure cooker in about 30 minutes.
Add oil in the steel insert of the Instant Pot. Press the 'Saute' button, and adjust the heat setting to ‘Normal’. Once the display reads ‘Hot’, add oil (or butter, if using).
Once the oil heats up, add onions along with ginger and garlic. Sauté them till it is soft and translucent (takes about 5 minutes).
Add tomatoes, along with the chopped vegetables, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, pav bhaji masala and 1.5 cups of water. Close the lid and place the vent in sealing position.
Pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. When the cycle is complete, wait for 5 minutes before carefully releasing pressure.
Use an immersion blender or a potato masher, to blend the veggies to a puree or a coarse mixture (as desired).
Stovetop pressure cooker method
Add oil in a stovetop pressure cooker placed over medium heat.
Once the oil heats up, add onions along with ginger and garlic. Sauté them till it is soft and translucent (takes about 5 minutes).
Add tomatoes, along with the chopped vegetables, Kashmiri chili powder, salt, pav bhaji masala and 1.5 cups of water. Close the lid and place the vent.
Cook till the vent goes off 3 times. Switch off the gas.
Once the cooker has cooled down, open the lid carefully.
Use an immersion blender or a potato masher, to blend the veggies to a puree or a coarse mixture (as desired).
Tempering for color and taste
In a small tempering pan, add a tablespoon of butter and once it melts, add asafoetida, 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder and a teaspoon of pav bhaji masala and mix well.
Take off heat immediately and pour this mixture over the pureed bhaji and stir it in.
Add a tablespoon of lime juice to the pav bhaji. Mix well.
Do a taste test and adjust the seasonings. Add more chili powder, salt, lime juice, and pav bhaji masala as needed.
Cook it for 5 minutes on low heat to allow the flavors to meld in.
Pan-frying Pav
Slice the pav into two halves.
Add 1/2 a tablespoon of butter in a frying pan kept over medium heat.
Once the butter heats up, add a pinch of both dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) and pav bhaji masala to the melted butter.
Place 4 halves of the pav on top and saute them on both sides until they are slightly brown. Repeat the process for the rest of the pav slices.
Serving suggestions
Garnish the pav bhaji with chopped onions and cilantro.
Place a sliver of butter on top of the bhaji and lemon wedges on the side.
Squeeze lime juice over the pav bhaji and savor it with crispy, buttered pav (bread).
Notes
Go easy on the salt, if you are using salted butter to make the dish. For the most authentic taste, use Amul butter (can be found in Indian stores).
To make a healthy version of Pav bhaji, skip the salted butter and use olive or peanut oil instead.
Substitute for Pav bhaji masala - Substitute 2 teaspoons of pav bhaji masala with 1 teaspoon garam masala and 1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder (amchoor).