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Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe (One-pot)
4.8 from 552 votes

Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe (One-pot)

Mumbai Pav Bhaji is a spiced vegetable mash served with buttered, toasted dinner rolls known as pav. This one-pot recipe cooks a blend of vegetables including potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, peas, and bell pepper simmered with tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, and Kashmiri red chilies. Seasoned with pav bhaji masala and garnished with cilantro and onions, it delivers a richly flavored, hearty dish with a smooth, thick texture perfect for scooping with soft bread.

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
30 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 418 kcal
Course: Main Course, Snacks
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon butter or oil
  • 2 cups red onions diced
  • 3 cups tomato chopped, about 5 large
  • 1" inch ginger
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 3 Kashmiri red chili pepper whole dried
  • 1 bell pepper chopped, 130gms
  • 3 potato medium, peeled and chopped. I used russet potatoes. about 3 cups or 440gms
  • 1 carrot cut in pieces, 90gms or 2/3 cup
  • 1 1/2 cup cauliflower cut in small pieces, Gobi
  • 3/4 cup green peas
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
For Pav
  • 10 dinner rolls or Dinner rolls, Pav
  • 2 tablespoon butter
To garnish
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1/4 cup cilantro to garnish

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Soak red whole chili in 1 cup water for 15 mins. Grind chili, ginger and garlic along with the water to a paste. (Note: if you skip grinding chilies with water, then do add 1 cup water before pressure cooking and add the ginger/garlic along with the onions)
  2. Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode (high flame for stovetop pressure cooker) and heat 2 tbsp butter/oil in it. Add onions and sauté for 3 minutes.
  3. Add bell pepper and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  4. Add tomatoes, pav bhaji masala and salt. Add the ground chili paste. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it with a spatula. (See notes if you have had a Burn issue in your instant pot or using 8qt instant pot)
  5. Add cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and green peas. Mix well.
Instant Pot Method
  1. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position. Change the setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 8 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, release the pressure naturally.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method
  1. Close the lid, turn the heat on high flame and pressure cook it until your hear two whistles. Now reduce the flame to medium and pressure cook it for another 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
Mash and Garnish Bhaji
  1. Open the pressure cooker and use an immersion blender to coarsely grind the ingredients. You can also use a potato masher to mash the bhaji to the desired consistency. 
  2. Change to sauté mode and let the bhaji boil for a minute. Mix in the lime juice. Bhaji is ready to be served.
Preparing Pav
  1. Slice each pav or dinner rolls in two halves.
  2. Heat butter on a pan and place the sliced pav on it. Lightly toast on one side and then turn to toast on the other side. 
  3. Pav are ready to be served with bhaji.
Serving Pav Bhaji
  1. Take 1-2 ladles of bhaji in a plate. Add a dollop of butter. Sprinkle some chopped onions and cilantro on the top. Sprinkle some lime juice on the top if you like a tangier taste. Serve with two buttered pav's on the side. 

Notes

  • Use Everest brand pav bhaji masala or make a quick homemade blend with coriander, garam masala, dry mango powder, and turmeric for authentic flavor.
  • To avoid burn errors on 8-quart Instant Pots or newer models, add extra 1/4 cup water before pressure cooking and ensure the pot is well deglazed after sautéing.
  • Kashmiri red chilies add color and mild heat; you can substitute 1-2 teaspoons of Kashmiri chili powder to adjust spice levels.
  • The recipe can be made vegan by using oil instead of butter, but traditional pav bhaji is made with butter.

Nutrition Information

Calories 418kcal (21%) Carbohydrates 65g (22%) Protein 13g (26%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Cholesterol 20mg (7%) Sodium 867mg (36%) Potassium 1072mg (23%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 3571IU (71%) Vitamin C 107mg (119%) Calcium 204mg (20%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 418

% Daily Value*

Calories 418kcal 21%
Carbohydrates 65g 22%
Protein 13g 26%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 20mg 7%
Sodium 867mg 36%
Potassium 1072mg 23%
Fiber 11g 44%
Sugar 10g 20%
Vitamin A 3571IU 71%
Vitamin C 107mg 119%
Calcium 204mg 20%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.