Pav Bhaji

 Pav bhaji (also transliterated as pao bhaji and pau bhaji) is a classic fast food dish native to Maharashtrians and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, particularly in the Maharashtrian city of Mumbai and Pune. "Pav" in Marathi means bread. "Bhaji" is a term for a curry and vegetable dish. 

History-

The origin of this dish is traced to the heyday of the textile mills in Mumbai. The mill workers used to have lunch breaks too short for a full meal, and a light lunch was preferred to a heavy one, as the employees had to return to physical labor after lunch. A vendor created this dish using items or parts of other dishes available on the menu. Roti or rice was replaced with pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were amalgamated into just one spicy concoction-the 'bhaji'. Initially, it remained the food of the mill-workers. With time the dish found its way into restaurants and spread over Central Mumbai and other parts of the city. Such is popularity of this dish, that it is common to find it on the menu of most Indian restaurants serving fast food in Asia (especially Singapore, Hong Kong), America, UK (London), Switzerland and elsewhere.

It is consumed as a snack, between lunch and dinner, particularly by individuals in western India. Pav bhaji is available on hand carts. It is also available in almost all hotels and eateries. In recent years, pav bhaji is also being consumed as a light evening meal, and is also a party favorite.

To sum up its a fast food that is a dream of every mom- an ideal way of getting kids to eat a medley of veggies with no resistance!

So here's the classic Pav Bhaji with just one small twist. In addition to all the regular veggies used for this dish, I also use Drumstick/Moringa.

It is known to be a great source of calcium and a blood purifier.



Ingredients-

Veggies 1
2 large potatoes
1 carrot
3 florets of cauliflower
1 drumstick

Veggies 2
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 onion minced
2 tomatoes minced
1/2  green pepper/capsicum minced
1/2 cup green peas

1-2 tsp Pav Bhaji masala

(availabe at stores, if you cant get it, it contains a combination of the following spices)

ground cumin

ground pepper

ground cardamom

chilli powder

ground fennel

ground cinnamon

salt to taste

To serve-
Lemon juice
freshly chopped coriander
butter
Pav/ wholemeal buns

Preparation-

• Boil "veggies1"- Cut the drumstick into 2 inches sticks and boil with other vegetables.
• When done peel the potatoes, open the drumsticks and scoop out the flesh and seeds.
• Then mash all the vegetables roughly.
• Heat oil in a pan, saute the onions and garlic.
• Add the green pepper and peas, cover and cook.
• Add the tomatoes, cover and cook.
• When "veggies2" are all cooked, add salt to taste and pav bhaji masala.
• To this mixture add 1/4 cup water and the mashed veggies1.
• Stir till well combined.
• Switch off the heat

To Serve-

• Slit the buns in the centre, butter them and toast lightly on a girdle/tawa, till they are crisp on one side.
• Squeeze lemon juice over the bhaji, garnish with freshly chopped coriander.
• Drop a cube of butter in the centre. This is placed over the pipping hot bhaji such that it melts and infuses into the dish before your eyes.

 Enjoy!