Pav Bhaji | Instant Pot Pav Bhaji
Learn how to make the bhaji(mixed-vegetable curry) for the famous Indian Street Food, Pav Bhaji, in an electric pressure cooker/Instant Pot and stovetop pressure cooker.
Servings: 6
Calories: 416kcal
Equipment
- Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
- Tawa or Griddle
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp=15ml; 1tsp=5ml;
For the bhaji
- 2 tbsp oil you can reduce it to 1 tbsp
- 2 tbsp butter divided
- 1 onion finely chopped, approx 200 grams, set aside 1 tbsp to garnish
- 2 garlic roughly grated
- 1- inch ginger peeled and roughly grated
- 2 tomatoes chopped, I used big ones approx 230 grams
- 1 tbsp tomato paste optional, but I highly recommend
- ⅓ cup carrots chopped
- ¼ cup peas if using frozen thaw it to room temperature
- 250 grams potatoes peeled and chopped
- 250 grams cauliflower
- 1 cup bell peppers approx 120 grams, divided ( I used ¾ cup for the bhaji and used the remaining for garnishing)
- 1.5 tbsp pav bhaji masala or to taste
- ½ tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder or to taste
- 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 cup water divided ⅓ cup + ⅔ cup
- 3 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
For Pav
- 12 dinner rolls/pav buns or as required
- 2 tbsp butter or as required to toast the buns
To garnish
- 1 tbsp onion finely chopped + few onion slices
- 1 lemon cut into in small wedges
- 1 tbsp butter optional
- ¼ cup bell pepper finely chopped
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot in saute mode, and after 30 seconds, add the oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Let the butter melt and when the oil is hot, add the finely chopped onion, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Mix 1 tbsp of tomato paste with ⅓cup of water without any lumps. Add this tomato paste water, chopped tomatoes, pav bhaji masala, salt, and red chili powder.
- Mix well and cook this mixture for 5 minutes.
- Now add all the veggies - potatoes, peas, cauliflower, carrots, and bell peppers.
- Add the remaining ⅔ cup of water and mix well.
- Turn off the Instant Pot. Close the Instant Pot. Make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Select manual/pressure cook and set the time to 5-minutes at high-pressure mode. When the cooking is complete, let the pressure release naturally. Carefully open the lid after releasing the pressure, and here is how the bhaji looks. It might be a little watery, and that's ok. As we blend and cook, it will thicken.
- Using a hand blender, blend the bhaji coarsely.
- Mix well and set the Instant Pot back in saute mode. Let it cook for two to three minutes. Then add the chopped cilantro and more butter. Mix well and turn off the Instant Pot.
- Heat the tawa or griddle and add little butter. Cut the pav buns horizontally and open the buns. You can leave the edges intact or cut them into two halves. Toast the pav buns on both sides. Pav buns are now ready. Plate the toasted pav buns with the prepared bhaji. Add some extra butter to the bhaji and garnish it with cilantro. Serve it along with some lemon/lime wedges and with chopped onion-bell pepper mix.
Notes
- You can adjust the veggies according to your preference and what you have in your refrigerator.
- The tomato paste is entirely optional. It adds a slightly tangy flavor and also helps with the bright red color.
- Adjust the veggies as per your preference. Do not overload your bhaji with veggies, though.
- Adjust the salt and pav bhaji masala and the red chili powder as per your preference.
- I did not use any turmeric powder or Kasuri methi in this recipe. Some recipes call for Kasuri methi, but I have always tried without it.
Nutrition
Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 52g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1173mg | Potassium: 515mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3104IU | Vitamin C: 80mg | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 4mg