Pav Bhaji in instant pot| Spiced Mashed Vegetables | Indian Street Food with detailed photo and video recipe – Pav Bhaji is a popular Indian street food. Pav Bhaji is made with potatoes and vegetables cooked in a tomato base, and enjoyed with pav or dinner rolls. We will make it in both Instant Pot and Stovetop Pressure Cooker. Try this one-pot Pav Bhaji recipe in the pressure cooker and you will not make it any other way again!

In India, at home we would make Pav Bhaji in a stovetop pressure cooker. I have changed this recipe to be prepared in an Instant Pot and a Stovetop Pressure Cooker, as a one-pot recipe. This makes cooking pav bhaji much easier and quicker, but does not compromise on the taste. Pav Bhaji is a great dish for entertaining, as you can make one dish for everyone. Even kids love pav bhaji.

If you’ve never heard of this dish – “pav” just means buttered bread and “bhaji” is a thick mashed vegetable curry/sauce. Think of pav bhaji as an Indian vegetarian . You can put it on a bun and top it with chopped onions, cilantro and green chilies! A perfect and fun warm veggie sandwich. Comfort food at it’s best!

You can use any buttered roll to go along with this bhaji. Just be sure to melt some butter in a pan and toast the bread a bit – the texture of the soft yet toasty bread with its crispy edges is such a nice contrast to the veggie curry.

If you’d like to use your own blend or store-bought pav bhaji masala then just leave out my spices and add the masala to taste!

Pav Bhaji in instant pot is a combo dish of Pav (meaning bread), and bhaji (meaning curried vegetables). Mumbai Paav Bhaji, the King of Indian Street Food, is an immensely gratifying meal, that will transport you to a gastronomical bliss. Pav Bhaji is not only a sure shot party pleaser, but also a wholesome satisfying weeknight dinner.

Why I love to make Pav Bhaji at home
The best part I like about making Mumbai Pav Bhaji, is that you don’t have to be super precise in your initial prep and chopping. First, cook the roughly chopped vegetables together in the ginger-garlicy, onion-tomato base. Next, lightly mash the cooked veggies, bringing forth the distinctly spicy-tangy flavors. The final dish is incredibly tasty and presentable, you will be surprised at how little effort went into making this goodness!

A great combination of nutritious mixed vegetables in a lip-smacking tomato base, Paav Bhaji is one of the best ways to get your kids to eat their veggies.

Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala:

4 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
6 Kashmiri red chilies, less if using spicier variety
2 inch cinnamon stick
6 cloves
4 green cardamom
1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Dry roast all of the above spices on medium heat. Allow the spices to cool down. Add the roasted spices along with 2 teaspoons of amchur {dry raw mango} powder to a spice grinder and make a fine powder, Store in an air tight container.

Here are other substitutions to pav bhaji masala in a pinch – Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of homemade garam masala, 1 tablespoon of ground coriander, 1 tablespoon red chili powder and 1 to 2 teaspoons amchur or dry mango powder.

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Pav Bhaji | Spiced Mashed Vegetables | Indian Street Food

Pav Bhaji is a popular Indian street food. Pav Bhaji is made with potatoes and vegetables cooked in a tomato base, and enjoyed with pav or dinner rolls. We will make it in both Instant Pot and Stovetop Pressure Cooker. Try this one-pot Pav Bhaji recipe in the pressure cooker and you will not make it any other way again!
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Indian, north indian, south indian
Keyword instant pot recipes, one pot meal, Pav bhaji, vegetable
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Author Sowji’sKitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp Butter
  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1 Cup Chopped onion
  • 1 Cup Tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tbsp Red chili paste
  • 1 Bell peppers Chopped
  • 3 Potato Peeled and chopped
  • 1 Carrot Chopped
  • 3/4 Cup Green peas
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 2 tbsp Pav bhaji powder
  • Salt as per taste
  • Cilantro for garnish

For Pav

  • 10 Dinner rolls
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1/2 Cup Chopped onion

Instructions 

Instant Pot Method

  • Start instant pot in sauté mode and heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in it.
  • Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add ginger garlic paste for a minute.
  • Add bell pepper,tomatoes,potato, carrots, and green peas. Mix well. and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  • Add cumin powder, coriander powder, pav bhaji masala and salt. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it with a spatula.
  • Add water and mix well. 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.
  • Open 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.
  • Change to sauté mode and let the bhaji boil for a minute. Garnish with cilantro.
  • Bhaji is ready to be served. Serve with Pav , chopped onions and lemon.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method

  • Heat butter/oil in the pressure cooker on medium-high flame.
  • Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add bell pepper,tomatoes,potato, carrots, and green peas. Mix well. and sauté for another 2 minutes.
  • Add cumin powder, coriander powder, pav bhaji masala and salt. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it with a spatula.
  • Add water and mix well
  • Cover 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.
  • Open 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.
  • Put on medium flame and let the bhaji boil for a minute. Bhaji is ready to be served and garnish with cilantro.

Preparing Pav

  • Slice each pav or dinner rolls in two halves.
  • 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.
  • Pav are ready to be served with bhaji.

Serving Pav Bhaji

  • 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 lemon juice on the top if you like a tangier taste. Serve with two buttered pav's on the side.

Notes

The real Mumbai pav bhaji is always made with butter. However you can prepare it will oil too.
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 1/2 cup water when cooking in step 3.
Vegan Variation: Use vegan butter or oil to make the bhaji and toast the pav.

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How to make Pav Bhaji in instant pot with step by step :

1.Start instant pot in sauté mode and heat 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp oil in it.

2. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes.

3. Add ginger garlic paste for a minute.

4. Add bell pepper,tomatoes,potato, carrots, and green peas. Mix well. and sauté for another 2 minutes.

5. Add cumin powder, coriander powder, pav bhaji masala and salt. If anything is stuck to the bottom of the pot, scrape it with a spatula.

6. Add water and mix well. Press cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position.

7. Change the setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 8 minutes.

8. When the instant pot beeps, release the pressure naturally.

9. Open 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.

10. Change to sauté mode and let the bhaji boil for a minute. Garnish with cilantro.

11. Bhaji is ready to be served. Serve with Pav , chopped onions and lemon.