Mumbai Pav Bhaji is one of the most popular Indian street food . Uttterly butterly delicious spicy bhaji served alongside butter laden pav. Are you drooling yet ?? Every Indian fast food restaurant serves Pav Bhaji . In fact it is the most ordered dish on the menu which is enjoyed by folks of all ages . Learn how to make restaurant style Pav Bhaji at home in the easiest possible way using an Instant Pot pressure cooker. This recipe requires less effort and cleaning without compromising on the taste .Guys this is the only Pav Bhaji recipe you will ever need !!
What is Pav Bhaji ?
There are two parts to this dish-
Pav means diner rolls . They are slathered with butter and cooked on a pan until warm .
Bhaji here is smashed mixed vegetable curry cooked with special Pav Bhaji masala and loads of butter .
Both Pav and Bhaji are served together along with chopped onions and lemon wedge . This combination is finger licking good !!! If you never had Pav Bhaji then you are seriously missing something in life.
Pav Bhaji being native to Maharashtra especially to Mumbai is enjoyed globally . I haven’t come across anyone who can say “No” to Pav Bhaji. It is always a crowd pleaser.
I am born and brought up in Mumbai. Being a Mumbaikar and a hard-core foodie lot of memories are attached with this dish . Juhu beach is quiet close to my house. When we were young , my parents used to take my brother and me to the beach every weekend. We spent hours enjoying the sunset , splashing in the water , playing games and making sand dunes. All these activities made us very hungry. So we ate butta ( corn on cob ) , juhu chana chaat and gola there . By the time we wrapped up at the beach it would be dinner time. We then stopped at the street food stalls right at Juhu beach .
My parents would order pav bhaji and some chaat there. Our hungry bellies would wait for the awesome Pav Bhaji . As kids we found it spicy so it was extra cheese and butter bhaji for us. This is one dish I can spend my entire life on. I mean I can eat Pav Bhaji day and night everyday without getting bored.
When I went to college my favorite hot spot for eating Pav Bhaji was Amar juice center which was right outside . I loved hanging around with my friends there for hours . We used to order endless plates of Pav Bhaji , Tawa Pulao and pitchers of soda. Those were the days.. sigh!!!!
If you are in Mumbai make sure you eat Pav Bhaji at Amar , Sardar and Juhu beach stalls.
Since I have moved to the USA I haven’t found a single restaurant that served Bhaji as tasty as the one I grew up eating. My mom is a pro cook and makes replica restaurant style bhaji . All I had to do is to take recipe from her and make it myself. My dad is from the food industry so she got opportunities to learn secrets of restaurant style cooking from the chefs itself. And trust me this Pav bhaji hits the spot right away . From color to texture , spice level to balance of ingredients , everything is so perfect.
Mom’s Secret of making Restaurant style Pav Bhaji at home –
One thing my mom does different is that she doesn’t use any red food color . She improvised the bhaji recipe by using grated beetroot. One more thing that the restaurants and street food stalls use to make bhaji is Dried green peas ( cooked of course ) instead of fresh green peas. Upon asking the chef said that peas are seasonal and rest of the year they are very expensive. So they use dried green peas throughout the year. I have made Pav bhaji countless times with fresh green peas as well as dried peas and yes the bhaji really tastes different . My vote is for dried peas but if I haven’t pre planned then I do use frozen fresh grean peas . Either ways this recipe is delicious.
Which vegetables are used to make Pav Bhaji –
Bhaji is made with a blend of various vegetables.Basically it is a fridge clean out recipe . You can use vegetables like onions , tomatoes, potatoes, plantains, green peas, cauliflower, bell peppers to make Bhaji. Pav bhaji is made differently in every household. Some variations include carrots, broccoli and green beans , eggplant (baingan) too. I personally do not prefer carrots or sweet potato for making this recipe as it will just make bhaji taste sweet . I suggest not to use cabbage in bhaji as it makes it slimy. And please do not use leafy greens or okra.
How to make Pav Bhaji at home ?
You can make Pav Bhaji the traditional way in a pan. This requires finely chopping everything . Boiling potatoes, peas and cauliflower separately and then adding everything to the pan . This method requires you to be around stirring the bhaji often and monitoring it. Needless to say you will have a couple of utensils to clean.
I prefer making Pav Bhaji in a pressure cooker . Now that I have an electric pressure cooker Instant Pot , I make bhaji in it in one go.
All I have to do is put all ingredients in the Instant Pot without pre boiling anything and Bhaji is ready in no time. The best part is less pots to clean and no baby sitting the curry.
Mumbai Pav Bhaji Ingredients
I like to use onions , tomatoes , cauliflower, bell peppers ( capsicum ) , potatoes , peas ( dried or fresh ) and lot of garlic. Beetroot for red color of the bhaji without adding any food color ( totally optional ). I even use store-bought tomato purée for the deep tomato tangy flavor of the bhaji.
Pav Bhaji Masala and a good quality of red chili powder is essential to make this Bhaji . Pav Bhaji masala is a blend of various Indian spices that is the star of the bhaji. Bhaji without this pav bhaji masala won’t turn out great. May be you can use garam masala but it is not the same. You can easily find this masala in any Indian grocery store worldwide . If it is unavailable then you can make your own Pav Bhaji masala at home. My friends mom makes it at home . She was kind enough to share this Pav Bhaji Masala recipe with me.
Homemade Pav Bhaji Masala recipe –
There are two ways you can make Pav Bhaji masala at home –
- improvising with garam masala
- making pav bhaji masala from scratch using dry spices
If you have garam masala here is what you will do-
2 tablespoon garam masala + 1 teaspoon Indian red chili powder preferably ( kashmiri red chili )
How to make Pav Bhaji masala –
- 7 whole red dry chili ( preferably bydagi if you want less hot or Kashmiri )
- 4 tablespoon coriander seed
- 4 cloves
- 5 black cardamom
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon whole black/ white pepper
- 1/2 inch cinnamon sticks
- 2 count mace / javitri
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon black salt
Dry roast all the whole spices in a pan on low to medium heat until fragrant . Once cooled blend it in a spice blender . Then stir in turmeric and salt. Store in a air tight jar. Use as needed .
Which brand of Pav Bhaji Masala is the best ?
I personally use Badshah or Everest Pav Bhaji masala.
Tips and tricks for making the best restaurant style pav bhaji at home –
Proportion is everything. The ratio of tomatoes , tomato puree to other vegetables is very important.
Use good quality red chili powder as well as pav bhaji masala .
If you want the pav bhaji to taste just like Mumbai street style or fast food restaurant then do not compromise on the amount of butter used.
Having said that , the best part of making anything at home is that you can adjust the ingredients to your preference too .
Can I make Pav Bhaji ahead of time ?
Definitely yes. Infact the flavors mingle and deepen given you the best tasting Pav bhaji. Pav Bhaji stays good for 2 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer.
Is Pav Bhaji healthy ?
Bhaji is a delicious way to eat you vegetables. You can sneak in loads of veggies in one dish especially for the fussy eaters. Make Pav Bhaji healthy at home by using minimal oil or butter . You may even make bhaji without butter and just cook it in vegetable broth. Swap Pav for parathas , rotis , dosas or khakras and you will have a healthy low fat bhaji recipe good to go.
How to make vegan Pav Bhaji ?
Use vegan butter instead of dairy and you have completely vegan Pav Bhaji . Make sure you serve the bhaji with vegan friendly dinner rolls .
How to make Jain Pav Bhaji or no onion no garlic Pav Bhaji ?
Simply skip onion and garlic . If Jain then skip the potatoes . You may substitute potatoes with raw banana / plantain or increase the quantity of green peas. Beetroot is optional .
How to make Pav Bhaji in an Instant Pot ?
Making Pav Bhaji in a pressure cooker is by far the easiest way to make it. It requires less effort and only one pot to clean . Whenever we had a party at home my mom always made bhaji in a pressure cooker. This Bhaji can be made in a stove top pressure cooker as well as instant pot or any other electric pressure cooker. Given below is a step by step pictorial followed by the recipe and notes for making restaurant style Pav Bhaji at home.
How to make Pav Bhaji for a party or large crowd ?
This recipe will serve 18 – 20 people provided there are other items on the menu. If you are only serving Pav Bhaji then this recipe suffices 10 people. This recipe can easily be increased or decreased as per your needs.
Other ideas to use Pav Bhaji –
If you do not wish to eat bhaji with pav or looking for interesting ways to serve Bhaji then here are few ways you can do so
- Pav Bhaji Dosa
- Pav Bhaji Pizza
- Bhaji toast sandwiches
How to make Mumbai Pav Bhaji in an Instant Pot pressure cooker-
I make Pav Bhaji once in two weeks at least. The photo below is clicked just before dinner. Look how amazingly red it turned out. I increased beetroot by 1/4 cup more . It didn’t alter the taste of the bhaji at all.
Mumbai Pav Bhaji
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 6 tablespoon butter divided (see notes)
- 1.5 tablespoon Indian red chili powder preferably kashmiri or bydagi chilies
- 2.5 tablespoons Pav Bhaji masala divided
- 8 medium size ripe roma tomatoes chopped roughly
- 1 ¼ cup tomato puree see notes
- 195 grams / 1.5 cups finely chopped onions
- 12 cloves of garlic minced or grated approx. 2.5 tablespoon
- 500 grams / 3 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed
- 130 grams/ 1 cup green bell pepper / capsicum chopped
- 130 grams / 1 cup cauliflower florets
- ¾ cup grated beetroot 1 medium size ,see notes
- 1 ½ cup cooked dried green peas OR use fresh / frozen peas, see notes
- 1 cup water
- Salt to taste
For topping / side
- Fistful of cilantro finely chopped
- Lemon wedges
- Finely chopped onions
- Dollops of extra butter
For preparing pav for serving
- butter for spreading both sides
- pav / diner rolls
Instructions
- Switch on the Instant Pot on Saute mode.
- Add in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter .
- Once warm add in the onions and stir until translucent , approx. 2 minutes
- Add in minced garlic , 1 tablespoon red chili powder and the 2 tablespoon pav bhaji masala. Stir for 10 seconds .
- Add in 1 cup of water and deglaze the pot .
- Add in everything else and give it a quick stir .
- Secure the IP lid . Cancel Sautee mode and press manual HIGH 12 minutes .
- The black knob on the lid should be on SEALING position.
- Once the IP beeps let the pressure come down naturally .
- When the silver pin drops , turn the knob to venting and carefully open the lid.
- Smash the bhaji with a potato masher or immersion blender.
- Give it a taste test and adjust seasoning to your preference .
- Add in 4 tablespoon butter , 1/2 tablespoon reserved pav bhaji masala and give it a quick mix.
- Add in cilantro and reserve extra for garnish .
- Turn on the IP to Sautee mode and let the bhaji cook for 3-4 minutes.
- You will have to constantly stir or the bhaji will splatter a lot.
- Cover the IP with an external lid as Bhaji to avoid splatter.
For preparing pav for serving
- Warm up the tawa/ skillet. Slit the Pav. Spread butter on both sides. Heat up Pav on each side until warm .
- Serve besides bhaji , chopped onions and lemon.
Step by Step video of the recipe -
Notes
- Use a food processor to prepare vegetables for the bhaji in less time.
- You can cook a big batch of dried green peas and freeze in one time use portion size for whenever you want to make Bhaji.
- Store bought tomato puree is used for restaurant like tasting bhaji.
- You may use homemade ripe tomato puree too. It won't make much of difference.
Nutrition
Do not have an Instant Pot ? You can make this Pav bhaji in a regular pressure cooker or open pan on the stovetop .
For stove top pressure cooker follow the recipe as above and cook for 5 whistles . Let the pressure come down naturally.
For making it in the pan follow recipe above. You will have to pre boil the vegetables like peas, cauliflower, beet, potatoes and then proceed with the recipe . Keep stirring often .
Pin this recipe on your Pinterest board for future reference – 
Hope you like this easy recipe on how to make one pot meal- Mumbai Pav Bhaji and give it a try. Let me know if you have any questions below in the comment section. Never miss a recipe . If you like being here do subscribe to my blog.Make sure you have us in your contact list so that the recipe does not land in spam folder. Carveyourcraving(at)gmail(dot)com .
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Great recipe! Which Store-bought tomato puree do you prefer for Indian dishes especially like this pan bhaji?
I like to use any that says tomato puree or crushed tomatoes. But store-bought puree is not compulsory if you have nice ripe tomatoes.
I have been making Pav Bhaji for a decade now.
This is the most easiest and delicious recipe I have tried.
Thank you!!
I am glad you liked it. Thank you for the lovely feedback!
Hi, can I pressure cook this a bit longer and then do a quick release to reduce the overall cook time of 12 mins of pc plus 20 mins of waiting for natural release?
Yes, you can Karen, but the flavor of the Bhaji develops more when it is simmered slowly and for a longer time.
It’s a super hit recipe exactly the same what u get at Juhu beach wala pav bhaji
Thank you so much for this
I miss Juhu beach Pav Bhaji a lot so tried to replicate and share with you. I am glad you feel the same about it. Thank you for a lovely feedback Nepra!
Wow, we loved the way your presented the pav bhaji and yeah that’s true Mumbai’s pav bhaji is of a different level but since we are in lock down, we have actually started making at home very often. We will try your version of pav bhaji too. keep sharing lip smacking recipes
Thank you so so much for posting measurements in grams instead of just cups! Makes it so much easier to weigh things out on my food scale.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe Rick!
Omg too much of unnecessary banter.. it took me 2 hours to look for the recipe. Such a put off. Really annoying..people.will start looking for another too the point recipe instead of scrolling the whole thing.
Hello Preet, thank you for your feedback. What you call bantering is information useful to many of my readers who have never tried Pav Bhaji. I have readers all over the globe, many being non-Indians. Maybe they want to know what this recipe means, maybe they want to know substitutes or valuable tips. I have a clear bold tab at the beginning of the post that takes you directly to the recipe. Not every person trying a recipe is pro and might be attempting this recipe for the very first time. It’s a blogger’s job to enlighten them with all the info. This entire post is less than a 15-minute read. If it is taking you two hours then it’s worrisome. Maybe you need to brush up your reading skills. You are welcome!!
This is the very first time my Bhaji turned out like shiv sagar in Mumbai. My husband said it is the best one. I made it in pressure cooker on the gas. The beets really made a difference in appearance. I kept it less spicy but the color was still nice and red. Kudos to your mom Khushboo for a wonderful recipe. Thank you.
This recipe hit the bulls eye. Fantastic one pot idea. My family loved it. Pressure cooking rocks!
Made this Pav Bhaji for super bowl. I kept it less spicy for my American friends. They couldn’t stop scooping it out of the bowl . I used hawaiian diner rolls with it. It was a bit sweet and doesn’t go well with the Bhaji. Next time I will try French rolls as you suggested . Overall it was a hit at the party. Thank you.
Glad you liked it Rucha. Yes if you reside in the United States do use ciabatta or french bread. These aren’t sweet and goes well with pav bhaji
We loved loved loved your version of Pav Bhaji recipe. The dried peas do make a difference. I tried it with fresh peas as well . Both versions work for me. I will be making it for thanksgiving potluck. Hope my American friends love it. Thank you Khushboo.
Best pav bhaji I have ever made! As a Bombayite, never get to enjoy bhaji in restaurants here but this satisfied my craving! Thank you so much… please keep posting such authentic Bombay recipes.
I am so happy Bindu, this recipe has been always a hit.
We make pav bhaji occasionally in our house and I only follow this recipe now! And everyone loves it!!
Glad to know this MP.
Hi,
Where would you get dried peas in the U.S.?
Hi SJ, any Indian store will carry it or use fresh green peas. I do it all the time when Pav bhaji is not planned.
Yummy . Ekdum Juhu pav bhaji without artificial color. Very impressed. Thank you Khushboo.
Glad you liked it Divya.
Yum. I made it yesterday. My family loved it . I used dried peas and yes it made so much difference. I will be making it again for Diwali party. Thank you.
I am in love with the color and taste of this Bhaji recipe. My husband thought I ordered it from a restaurant. So good . Thank you for all your yummy and easy recipes Khushboo!”
My family loved it . I used fresh green peas .
Awesome Minu. Thank you for sharing your experience.
This was the most amazing bhaji I made. 1st time I got a nice red color without adding artificial color. Thank you Khushboo Ji
Hands down , this is by far the best recipe that I have tried . Exactly like roadside Bhaji. Maza aa gaya!
Sooo much we have to go through for small recipes
Hello Kiran, I try to give every bit of detail in my post. My recipes are tried by newbies too and it’s helpful for them. You can use the JUMP to recipe button on the top to directly go to the recipe . Have a nice day!
Khushboo Kothari: absolutely loved your Pav Bhaji recipe. Your blog resonated so well with me! I’m from Bombay too and miss the Juhu Pav Bhaji! Thanks for sharing. Brought back a ton of memories ❤️
I am glad you loved it. Thank you for a great feedback!
Delicious!
That looks so delicious.
Hi Kinjal, I love your recipes. I am trying this Instant Pot Pav bhaji since last 2 times, but every time I Sauté and then add everything , when it is in pressure cook mode, the IP starts beeping indicating food burn and then it stops the cooking process. Can you please suggest what can be the solution.
Hello Rachana, this is Khushboo, not Kinjal 🙂 Hope you are on the right blog! New instant pots are very sensitive. You can add water right after sauteeing garlic and onions. Then top everything. This will not give you a burning message. Also, make sure you have scraped out anything sticking at the bottom of the pot while sauteeing.
I made pavbhaji today, for the first time and I followed your recipe. It came out perfect. Thank you !
I am glad you liked it Satya!
Wow, I would really treat my whole family with it. Looks great!
Thank you Boyd. Sure do!
The best bhaji I made till date and oh so simple!!
Thank you for a lovely feedback Tanu!
Hi made the pav bhaji today for the second time..excellent..finger licking..awesome..were the words used to describe it after my family n friends ate..Thank u so much..sorry couldnt take a picture to show you..Thank you for the lovely recipe.
Awesome Jasmine, so happy to hear this. Thank you for a lovely feedback.
Made this today, it was different from my usual Pav bhaji recipe and it was delicious! My kids, one of them who’s a very picky eater, liked it so much they asked for more, so this is a hit. Thank you for the recipe.
Glad to know this Juhi. Thank you for a lovely feedback!
Thank you so much for the reply. Do you get it form the it from the indian store and isn’t it a specific brand would it just say green peas ? As the ragda one says safe day vatana
Yes Indian store. Dried green color peas .
WHich dried peas brand do you buy and where can I get it from? Please let me know. I am from mumbai too and I miss the pav bhaji for. Juhu beach so much. Got the instant pot this Black Friday and waiting to try this recipe. Thank you in advance for reply
Hello Karishm , I have used dried green peas similar like ragda peas but are green ones. If you do not have it sub with fresh or frozen ones.
Thanks a lot Khushboo , I have tried many pav bhaji recipes, but I must say this one is the besttttt one. My kid liked it so much now he wants it every weekend. So thankful to you dear.
I am glad you liked it Reshma. Thank you for a lovely feedback!
Khushboo your recipes are amazing. How do you ace it every time ? My husband says this was the best tasting Pav Bhaji . I feel so confident now . God bless you dear.
This was such an easy way to make Pav Bhaji . I used to boil everything first but now this pressure cooker method is so simple. My family loved it. Planning to double the recipe for a big party . Should I double the cooking time too?
Pav Bhaji turned out lip smacking
Never knew fried green peas are used. Thank you for a detailed post. Will try tomorrow.
There are times when the bhaji becomes a bit more sour because of the quality of tomatoes. I add peeled and boiled bottle gourd to it to lessen the sourness.
Chaitali always use ripe tomatoes.And cooking tomatoes well reduces sourness too. Proportion is everything. You may increase the peas or potatoes if you find Bhaji tart. Do give this recipe a try. My mom uses Bottle gourd aka lauki to make jain pav bhaji . I am not a fan personally. But there is no right or wrong about cooking. Use what you feel works.
Thanks Khushboo, for detail recipe.
Welcome. Do try it Reshma !
Amazingly sumptous