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Mumbai Pav Bhaji Recipe (One-pot)

An easy one-pot recipe for the most popular Indian street food, Pav Bhaji in Instant Pot. It is a spiced mashed vegetable curry topped with chopped onions, cilantro, lime and enjoyed with dinner rolls. 

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 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 Whole Dried Kashmiri Red Chili Pepper
  • 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 (Gobi) cut in small pieces
  • 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 (Pav) or Dinner rolls
  • 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
    Cup of Yum
  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

  • Pro-tips:
  • Pav Bhaji Masala: My preferred pav bhaji masala brand is Everest. If you want to make a quick homemade pav bhaji masala powder, here is the recipe - 1 tsp coriander powder + 1 tsp garam masala + 1 tsp dry mango powder (or lime juice) + 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
  • Burn Issue or 8qt Instant Pot (Important): In newer versions of Instant Pot, many readers are facing a Burn message. If you have ever seen a Burn in your instant pot or are using an 8qt instant pot, add additional 1/4 cup water when cooking in step 3 and make sure to deglaze the pot well.
  • Vegan Variation: Use vegan butter or oil to make the bhaji and toast the pav. 
  • The real Mumbai pav bhaji is always made with butter.  However you can prepare it will oil too.
  • I recommend using Kashmiri chili, as that enhances the color of the bhaji.  You can also use Kashmiri Red Chili powder, about 1-2 teaspoons based on your taste. 

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 (31%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 10g (20%) Vitamin A 3571IU (71%) Vitamin C 107mg (119%) Calcium 204mg (20%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6Serving

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.