Pav Bhaji (Mashed Veggies and Bread Rolls)

Sometimes the best inspiration comes from asking, what do I need to use up rather than what should I eat. When I opened my refrigerator the other day I found random leftover veggies sitting in the bottom drawer just waiting to be made into something delicious. Without giving a second thought I decided to make pav bhaji for lunch.

Pav Bhaji is a popular street food originally from Mumbai and famous all across India. It reflects both the city’s multiculturalism and its fast paced lifestyle. These days you can find pav bhaji everywhere from the food carts strolling down the streets and local trains to high end Indian restaurants. Literally translated, “Pav/pao” means small bread rolls, a word introduced by Portuguese during their brief presence in Mumbai while “Bhaji” means vegetables. And, it is really just that – vegetables cooked with masala and served with a side of soft bread.

It is actually an extremely healthy dish, although today it is categorized as fast food with dollops of butter. Initially, the bhaji was just a mash of multiple vegetables spiced up to add flavor and accompanied with pav. It was filling and healthy. The story goes that the street vendors came up with this popular combination as a lunch option for textile mill workers who wanted something quick, filling and affordable meal before rushing back to work.

There are hundreds of variants of pav bhaji available today right from cheese pav bhaji to Chinese pav bhaji. I am sharing the most basic pav bhaji recipe. It is made with fresh and simple ingredients, and without any added butter. We prefer to keep the texture to a slightly coarse consistency, but you could process everything to more of smooth consistency. Either way, this easy, healthy dish is delicious! You can use any bread roll to go along with this bhaji and toast it in butter if you like it that way. I served with grain free keto buns. They were surprisingly similar to the pav, fluffy and (gluten free) soft.

Which vegetables can we use in pav bhaji?

Most vegetable like potato, carrot, beans, peas, mushrooms, bell peppers, and cauliflower including frozen peas, canned corn will work. You can also add squash, broccoli, and eggplant in this recipe. This is also a safe way to sneak in some greens. But do not use okra or radish. The thumb rule for mixing vegetables in this dish is to use those veggies that are neutral in taste, and texture so your end result is homogeneous and a single vegetable does not stand out.

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I am bringing this Pav Bhaji to the linky CookBlogShare hosted by Monika @ Everyday Healthy Recipes.