Step-wise Recipe to make Mumbai Street Food Special Pav Bhaji in an Instant Pot. This version has less butter and oil compared to the street food style of preparation. Serve it piping hot with warm buttery pav or dinner rolls and some finely chopped onions.
Instant Pot Pav Bhaji is an Indian Street food recipe made with mixed vegetables cooked in an onion-tomato base and pav bhaji masala. It is served with buttered dinner rolls or pav, onions and a lime wedge.
With Instant Pot, Pav Bhaji easily comes together under 30 mins. Pav bhaji is spicy, delicious and flavorful. It is one of the most sought after Indian street food recipes.
Think of this dish as Indian Sloppy Joes. It tantalizes your taste buds and makes you crave for more.
The street food version is quite rich with loads of butter. Home made pav bhaji can be made with less butter, minimal spices. You can also sneak a lot of vegetables especially when making for kids.
I have made the pav bhaji in Instant pot or electric pressure cooker. I have included notes on cooking pav bhaji in pressure cooker and stove-top.
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With Instant Pot, the dish becomes a dump-and-start recipe and prevents you from slaving in the kitchen, especially during summers.
I love the convenience of cooking pav bhaji in Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. The best part is that it stays warm. Perfect to serve while entertaining, potluck or gatherings.
This style and method of preparation is perfect for people looking for a light version without a lot of butter.
Checkout the Video Recipe
About Pav Bhaji - Indian Street Food
Pav Refers to Ladi Pav, Pav Buns or Dinner Rolls (not sweet dinner rolls)
Bhaji refers to the mixed vegetable curry cooked in butter and spices namely pav bhaji masala.
This dish is close to every Mumbaikar, including me. Pav bhaji was our go-to option during college days.
Pav Bhaji is made on a large flat tava or griddle. Finely chopped vegetables are cooked in an onion-tomato base with pav bhaji masala.
Lots of butter is added at regular intervals to make it rich and buttery.
Bhaji (curry) is served with buttered pav buns, finely chopped onions, garnished with coriander and served with lime. You have to squeeze the lime juice over the bhaji, add the onions, mix and eat.
It is everything a street food should be - piping hot, tangy, spicy and absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Potatoes - Key ingredient for making Pav Bhaji. Potatoes provide body and thickness. Soak potatoes in water until you are ready to cook.
Russet potatoes work best for this recipe. Some of my friends who live in US also use the same variety for mashed potatoes, baked potatoes and even fries.
Also note, quantity of potatoes should be more than cauliflower. It gives natural thickness and creaminess to the dish.
Cauliflower - Blanch the cauliflower before cooking (Follow this step to get rid of worms etc - Refer to my Aloo Gobi Recipe for more details )
Frozen Green Peas
Capsicum or Green Bell Pepper
Onion - Tomato and Garlic Paste - This forms the gravy base. I have pureed the tomatoes and finely chopped the onions.
You can use canned tomatoes or store bought tomato puree for this recipe.
Spices - Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder.
The Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder or Degi Mirch adds color to the dish.
Pav Bhaji Masala - This is the key ingredient for Pav Bhaji. You can use home made or store bought masala. I have been using Everest Pav Bhaji Masala for as long as I know.
Pav Buns / Ladi Pav - This bread is iconic to every Mumbaikar. Fresh, warm rolls straight from the bakery is the second best option (first being baking your own batch at home)
Mind you, these are not sweet dinner rolls.
Toast the pav with some butter before serving with bhaji.
Color of the Pav Bhaji - I have used Kashmiri red chili powder. For a more deeper red color, add 1 medium size peeled beet with the rest of the vegetables.
How to make Instant Pot Pav Bhaji
(1) Switch on the Instant Pot. Press SAUTE mode and once it displays "ON" or "HOT", add oil and cumin seeds.
(2) Once cumin roasts, add finely chopped onions and garlic paste.
(3) Once the onions are translucent, add tomato puree.
(4) After the onion - tomato mix has cooked, add the turmeric and red chilli powder.
(5) Now add the vegetables, salt to taste and Pav Bhaji Masala
(6) Mix well and add water. Cancel Saute Mode.
(7) Close the lid, Pressure Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes.
(8) Manually release the pressure or NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes.
(9) Press Saute Mode and using a masher, mash the vegetables until they are thick and creamy.
Note - Cancel sauté mode immediately after the vegetables have mashed.
(10) Add butter, finely chopped coriander leaves and serve immediately.
How to Serve Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji is served with buttered and toasted dinner rolls or pav buns. I have served bhaji with whole wheat pav buns.
When serving pav bhaji, add a spoon of butter on top of the bhaji. Watch it slowly melt and mix with the veggies.
Garnish with coriander (cilantro), generously sprinkle finely chopped onions and squeeze fresh lime juice before dipping the pav buns into the hot bhaji.
You can also serve bhaji or mashed veggies with roti, plain paratha, naan or sliced sandwich bread.
Stove Top Instructions
Pressure Cook all the vegetables except onions, tomatoes and capsicum.
Heat a thick bottom kadhai or dutch oven. Pour oil, add Jeera / cumin and cook the onion-tomato-garlic mix. Add the capsicum and sauté.
Add the spices, boiled vegetables and using a potato masher, mash the veggies until creamy. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Adjust consistency of the bhaji by adding some water, if required.
Taste and add salt, extra pav bhaji masala required, if any.
Finish it with a dollop of butter, garnish with coriander / cilantro and serve.
How to use leftover Pav Bhaji
Grilled Sandwiches - Spread a layer of bhaji between sandwich bread slices and grill them with some butter or ghee. You can also add some cheese with the bhaji stuffing.
Pav Bhaji Paratha - Mash the leftover bhaji and add to whole wheat flour along with spices, flax seeds or sesame seeds and salt to taste.
Knead using very little water (moisture from bhaji is sufficient) and roll into thick parathas. Cook on griddle with oil or ghee and serve for breakfast or pack in kids lunch box for school.
Pav Bhaji Dosa - Instead of potato masala, bhaji or mashed veggies is used as stuffing. Sometimes grated cheese or paneer is also added.
Got Leftover Pav And Bhaji Both? Make easy Indian Style Bruschetta. You can use leftover pav buns or toast baguettes and smear a layer of the leftover bhaji. Garnish with onions, coriander and serve as appetizer at your next party or game night.
Vegetable Cutlets using the leftover bhaji by adding more boiled sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, and panko bread crumbs or oats for binding. Shallow fry, bake or air fry the cutlets, as you prefer.
Other Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes
Brown Lentils Curry | Whole Masoor Dal
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Instant Pot Pav Bhaji Recipe
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds or Jeera
- 2 Onions large (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Paste or add finely chopped garlic
- 4 Tomatoes medium size (pureed)
- 4 Potatoes approx 575 gms, peeled and roughly chopped into chunks, immersed in water
- 3 Capsicum 200 gms, finely chopped
- 400 gms Cauliflower cut into thick florets
- 1 cup Frozen Green Peas
- 2 teaspoon Butter
- 3 cups Water
- salt to taste
Spices
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red chilli powder
- 3 ½ tablespoon Pav bhaji masala read notes below
Garnish (while serving)
- ½ cup Onions (finely chopped)
- Butter
- Couple of Lime Wedges
- Fresh coriander leaves finely chopped as required
1 cup is 250 ml, 1 tbsp is 15 ml, 1 tsp is 5 ml
Instructions
- Switch on the Instant Pot and Press SAUTE mode. Once it displays "ON" or "HOT", add oil and cumin seeds.
- Once cumin roasts, add finely chopped onions and garlic paste.
- After the onions turn translucent, add tomato puree.
- Cook the onion-garlic-tomato mix for couple of minutes. Add turmeric and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Mix well.
- Now add all the vegetables, salt to taste and Pav Bhaji Masala.
- Mix well and add water. Cancel Sauté Mode.
- Close the lid, Pressure Cook on HIGH for 6 minutes.
- Manually release the pressure or NPR (natural pressure release) for 15 minutes.
- Press Saute Mode and using a masher, mash the vegetables until they are thick and creamy. (Read notes below). At this stage, check salt and add extra, if required. Note - Cancel sauté mode immediately after the vegetables have mashed.
- Add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.
Video
Notes
- The Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder or Degi Mirch adds color to the dish. It has very mild heat.
- Pav Bhaji Masala - This is the key ingredient for Pav Bhaji. You can use home made or store bought masala. I have been using Everest Pav Bhaji Masala. The quantity used here is 3 & 1/2 tbsp which is divided into 5-6 servings (1 cup). The quantity can be adjusted according to your spice tolerance levels. Do not skip this as the spice mix is key to taste and aroma.
- Russet potatoes work best for this recipe. I wouldn't recommend baby potatoes as peeling the skin is time consuming.
- The entire dish can be made using butter (salted). However, pour some oil while butter melts in the instant pot to avoid burning.
- Pav Bhaji should be semi thick in consistency and not runny. It should be creamy, easily scooped with bread.
- Mashing the vegetables (while keeping the sauté mode on) gives it the right consistency as the excess moisture evaporates.
- Do not use an immersion blender and turn the bhaji into a smooth puree. It should have some bits and pieces of vegetables.
- If you find the bhaji too thick (especially the next day), add hot water and adjust consistency.
- All the vegetables except onions, tomatoes and capsicum can be pressure cooked until soft.
- Heat a thick bottom kadhai or dutch oven. Add oil, add Jeera / cumin and cook the onion-tomato-garlic mix. Add the capsicum and sauté.
- Add the spices, boiled vegetables and using a potato masher, mash the veggies until creamy. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Adjust consistency of the bhaji by adding some water, if required.
- Taste and add salt, extra pav bhaji masala required, if any.
- Finish it with a dollop of butter, garnish with coriander / cilantro and serve.
- You can also make this bhaji and serve it with sliced bread or baguette if you are unable to find pav buns or don't have time to bake from scratch.
- These can be served with Indian Breads like Roti, Paratha, Naan etc.
- Serve with finely chopped onions, tomatoes and squeeze lemon juice just before serving. Garnish with chopped coriander or cilantro.
- Pav Bhaji stays fresh for more than 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Cool the bhaji completely before refrigerating or freezing.
- Store in an airtight container and use a clean dry spoon every time you remove the bhaji.
- In summers, the shelf life of this sabzi (even in the refrigerator) is max 2 days. Since potatoes are used, it tends to spoil quickly.
- I have never frozen the sabzi as we tend to utilize the leftovers easily. Do Check out the Main Post for Ideas on How to Use Left over Pav Bhaji.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
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