Pav Bhaji

Pav Bhaji....the yummiest way to eat your veggies!!! :) This is traditionally a Maharashtrian fast food that literally means bread(pav) and vegetable curry(bhaji). The curry is a thick potato based gravy garnished with lots of onion, coriander and lime and served with a traditional soft bun. I am using normal bread here because I needed to finish it up. 
Pav bhaji is very famous in Mumbai, where you get different types like Mushroom pav bhaji, Cheese pav bhaji, Paneer pav bhaji.....
I have just made the regular pav bhaji with an addition of spinach since it was lying in my fridge. Trying to make it a little more healthy than it already is ;) 
Most people I know use the readymade pav bhaji masala to prepare this dish. I have however, used a my own mix of spices to make it.
Here's what you need to make this yummy dish 
Preparation time - 15 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves - 4 people
Ingredients

2 tbsps oil
2 potatoes-peeled and chopped
2 carrots-peeled and chopped
4 florets cauliflower
1/2 cup peas
1 handful spinach leaves - chopped
1 onion-chopped
2 tomatoes-peeled and chopped
2 green chillies-chopped
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
a pinch turmeric
garam masala a pinch
1 tbsp lime
salt to taste
8-12 slices of bread
butter/olive oil to apply on bread slices
Method

• Add all the chopped vegetables(potatoes, carrots, cauliflower and spinach) in a pressure cooker with 1 1/2-2 cups of water and salt to taste and pressure cook it until done. Around 5 whistles (10 minutes)
• While the vegetables are cooking, heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic paste, green chillies and salt and sauté until the onions are a nice light brown. Add the peas to this and continue to sauté. Then add tomatoes and mix well and let it cook for 5 minutes. 

• The vegetables should be done by this time. Open the pressure cooker and drain off any excess water into a bowl. Do not throw this water as you can use it to cook the gravy.
• Now add all the vegetables to the sauted onion, tomatoes and peas in the pan. Using a vegetable masher, mash all the vegetables and mix well.

• Add all the spices and lime juice to this along with the water drained from the cooker, simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes. Your gravy is ready now.

• Apply butter/olive oil on the bread slices and heat them on a flat pan. 

Serve hot with the gravy garnished well with onions and coriander and a wedge of lemon.

Notes

1. If you dont like your pav bhaji spicy then reduce the red chilli powder and pepper powder to 1/2 tsp.
2. If you would like mushroom/paneer pav bhaji then saute them along with the onions and peas before adding the boiled vegetables.
3. For cheese pav bhaji, garnish with lots of grated cheese instead of onions.

Shabnam