Recipe for Pav Bhaji with freshly baked Ladi Pav

Germany can easily be called the bread capital of the world. Germans love their bread. Supermarkets offer a wide variety of bread, and the early morning queue of loyal customers in front of bakeries is a common sight in Germany. Although many non-German breads, like Indian naan, Turkish flatbread, Indian Chapati, etc., have found a place on German supermarket shelves, a very popular bread in India—the Pav—has yet to reach there.

Indian street foods, especially those originating from Mumbai and Pune, use Pav extensively in Pav Bhaji, Vada pav, Dabeli, Misal Pav, etc. Brioche Buns, Turkish flatbreads, or plain white sandwich bread can replace Pav, but what would be better than getting the real pav itself? While researching different flour varieties in German supermarkets, I understood which flour has to be used for which baked products. That is when I decided to try making Pav in my kitchen, and to my luck, it turned out absolutely soft and pillowy, just like the pav we get in India.

You can check my tried and tested Pav recipe here.

In this post, I have shared the recipe for Bhaji– a rich, spicy, and delicious mash of vegetables topped with fresh chopped onions, lemon, and butter. This bhaji pairs perfectly with pav.

Ingredients needed for Bhaji:

1. Potatoes : 3-4 medium-sized
2. Cauliflower: 3-4 big florets
3. Carrots: 2 medium-sized
4. Peas: 1/2 cup
5. Finely chopped Capsicum: 1 medium-sized
6. Finely chopped Onions: 2 big ( 1 shall be used in the bhaji, and 1 shall be finely chopped and used for garnishing)
7. Finely chopped tomato: 1 big
8. Fresh coriander leaves: 1/2 cup
9. Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
10. Butter: 5 tablespoons ( 2 used for frying the veggies, 3 for garnishing before serving)
11. Refined oil: 1 tablespoon
12. Water: I needed to loosen the gravy and cook the veggies.
13. Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
14. Kashmiri Red chilli Powder: 2 teaspoons
15. MDH Pav Bhaji masala: 2-3 tablespoons
16. Lemons: 2 (1 to be used while cooking the bhaji, and the other to be sliced and served with the bhaji)
17. Salt: According to taste

Method for making Bhaji:

1. Cook potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and peas in a pressure cooker until soft. Add about 4 cups of water to cook the vegetables.
   
   
   
2. Heat one tablespoon of oil and two tablespoons of butter in a pan. Fry onions till they are slightly brown. Then add capsicum and fry further.
   
   
   
3. Add salt, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and pav bhaji masala. Then add tomatoes. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and let it cook for 5-10 minutes.
   
   
   
4. Then add the boiled vegetables. Mash the vegetables while they cook in the pan. Add water to loosen the mixture a bit. You can use the water in which you boiled the vegetables.
   
   
   
5. Add lemon and cook for 5-7 minutes more. Add coriander leaves.
   
   
   
6. Meanwhile, toast the pav bun with butter on a pan. Remove from the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander and freshly chopped onions. Serve with a slice of lemon and drizzle some melted butter.
   
   

This pav bhaji is tangy and spicy and tastes best when eaten hot.

Try it at home, and let me know your feedback in the comments. You can also check out our other recipes from my kitchen here.

About Ingredient sourcing in Germany:
You can get most of the ingredients needed for this recipe from a German Supermarket.
For specific Indian ingredients, you can check Spicelands. They are a big store in Frankfurt that delivers all over Germany.

Equipment needed for the recipe:
Please note that I use all these in my kitchen. I am happy and satisfied with these products, and hence, I recommend these to my readers.
Pan ( for making the bhaji): https://amzn.to/44V92Ek
Pan (for toasting the pav): https://amzn.to/41rC8Im
Pressure Cooker: https://amzn.to/3nUY4xO
Cutting Board: https://amzn.to/3n9IXjM
Knife Set (includes a bread knife): https://amzn.to/3Lg64Bj

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