The best way to enjoy a healthy version of street food is to prepare it yourself.
This homemade Instant Pot Pav Bhaji recipe is a classic Indian popular street food that is flavorful and filling.
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With cooked veggies and savory spices, it can double up as a snack or as a one-pot recipe for a busy weeknight.
It is also easy to customize the dish with your favorite veggies.
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Why this recipe works
This is a classic recipe made easy by the Instant pot. You can saute and pressure cook in the same pot within 30 minutes.
It's a great breakfast option paired with soft Indian bread (Pav) or bread rolls.
It has a full serving of vegetables packed with savory spices.
If you like to add more vegetables to your breakfast, this recipe lets you do that.
This Pav bhaji is just mildly spicy and topped with vegan butter. Served with Pav bread, it makes a complete, balanced meal.
Since my childhood days, I have always enjoyed the pav bhaji recipe. Because it's one dish, you can enjoy it any time of the day.
What is Pav Bhaji?
Pav bhaji is a popular Indian street food that originated in Mumbai.
It is popularly known as Mumbai pav bhaji. It's a thick gravy made with various vegetables mixed with spices and served with a buttery bread called pav.
The dish is usually served with a dollop of butter on top and sliced or chopped onions and a lemon wedge by the side.
Ingredients note
- Pav bhaji masala: Look for the best quality to make this bhaji masala. Sealed packs that are not more than 2 months old are best to start with.
- Vegetables: Go with variety. I used potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, and green peas. Other options are green bell pepper and chopped green beans.
- Ginger and garlic: I used freshly grated ginger and minced garlic powder. If you do not have fresh ginger and garlic, it is ok to use a ginger-garlic paste.
- Tomato paste: Tomato paste makes pav bhaji more flavorful. You can also use fresh tomatoes.
- Vegan butter: I used homemade vegan butter. You can use any plant-based butter or ghee.
- Pav bread: You can find this in Indian grocery stores. If you cannot find it, use any other type of bread, like burger buns.
See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Instructions
Start by heating the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add vegan butter.
As the butter melts, add chopped onions, ginger, and garlic.
Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
Add tomato paste and water and mix well.
Add pav bhaji masala and salt to taste. Mix well.
Add all the vegetables one by one and 1 ½ cups of water. Stir well.
Close the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.
Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables. The pav bhaji should have a thick consistency.
Add chopped cilantro, mix well, and serve with pav bread.
You can also garnish with vegan butter, onion, and lemon wedges.
Instant Pot Pav Bhaji is ready! Serve it hot paired with warm toasted pav bread!
Toast the pav or dinner rolls
Toast the pav for a few minutes on a tava or griddle over medium heat with vegan butter until golden brown. Serve with the bhaji.
Alternatively, toast the soft dinner rolls in a toaster oven until golden brown. Slice them open and serve with bhaji.
Variations
Spicy: Make it spicy by adding red chili powder, green chilies, or cayenne pepper.
Creamy: For a creamier bhaji, add coconut milk or cashew cream.
Vegan and gluten-free: This Instant Pot Pav Bhaji recipe is already vegan. Use gluten-free dinner rolls or skip the bread altogether to make it gluten-free.
No onion and garlic: Skip the onion and garlic to make it no onion and bhaji. You can also add green onions instead.
Storage
Pav bhaji stays fresh in the fridge for up to 48 hours. Reheat it in a pan on the stovetop or microwave it before serving.
You can also freeze pav bhaji for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
Recipe FAQ
There are many good brands of pav bhaji masala available in the market. I like to use MDH or Everest for best results.
Yes, you can prepare it on a stovetop too. Cook the veggies separately and then add them to the pot with all the other ingredients. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Use tomato paste and Kashmiri red chili powder for the color. If not, add ¼ cup of grated beets.
Expert tips
- The best vegetables for pav bhaji are potatoes, cauliflower, and peas. You can add other vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, bell peppers, etc.
- Do not skip the mash step. This is what gives the bhaji its thick and creamy consistency.
- You could use an immersion blender to mash the vegetables to get a creamy texture.
- To get the authentic taste, be sure not to replace pav bhaji masala powder with any other kind, like garam masala.
- If the dish turns out too spicy, mix in a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoonful of coconut milk to temper it down.
- You can also make this on the stovetop, but it will take longer since you'll have to cook the veggies separately.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Pav Bhaji
Equipment
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced potatoes
- 2 cup cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala powder
- pinch of turmeric
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 1 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cup water
- 2 cup frozen carrots and peas
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder - optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Start by heating the Instant Pot on saute mode. Add vegan butter.1 tablespoon vegan butter
- As the butter melts, add chopped onions, ginger, and garlic.1 onion chopped, 1 teaspoon ginger grated, 1 garlic cloves minced
- Sauté until the onions turn translucent.
- Add tomato paste and 2 tablespoons of water and mix well.2 tablespoon tomato paste
- Add pav bhaji masala and salt to taste. Mix well.1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala powder, pinch of turmeric
- Add all the vegetables one by one and water. Stir well.1 cup diced potatoes, 2 cup cauliflower florets, 2 cup frozen carrots and peas, 1 ½ cup water
- Close the Instant Pot lid and pressure cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally before opening the lid.
- Use a potato masher to mash the vegetables. The pav bhaji should have a thick consistency.
- Add chopped cilantro, mix well, and serve with pav bread.1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- You can also garnish with vegan butter, onion, and lemon wedges.
- Instant Pot Pav Bhaji is ready! Serve it hot paired with warm toasted pav bread!
Video
Notes
- The best vegetables for pav bhaji are potatoes, cauliflower, and peas. You can add other vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, bell peppers, etc.
- Do not skip the mash step. This is what gives the bhaji its thick and creamy consistency.
- You could use an immersion blender to mash the vegetables to get a creamy texture.
- To get the authentic taste, be sure not to replace pav bhaji masala powder with any other kind, like garam masala.
- If the dish turns out too spicy, mix a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoonful of coconut milk to temper it.
- You can also make this on the stovetop, but it will take longer since you'll have to cook the veggies separately.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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