Lunch Box Surprise- Spicy Vegetables Cooked In Onions & Tomatoes with Soft Roll (Pav Bhaji)

So, if you ask me about street food, I believe every street dish should be something totally unique, and yet appeal to the masses. You can use your own unique ingredients, but you should also do something that everyone will appreciate. The Pav Bhaji, is a great example of that. The vendors prepare a delicious blend of vegetables with their aromatic spices and serve that with delicious hamburger buns. Whilst the vegetables are distinctly flavoured with the likes of onion, tomato and other special spices, the bun is just something comforting; soft and buttery. When you hit the streets of Mumbai, India, you have to try this dish at least once. If you feel scared about eating on the roadside (due to unhygienic practices that might be there), try it in a higher class restaurant or a hotel.

Or, better still, try this recipe at home in the comfort of your own kitchen (and much healthier also)... The video is right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzMjBCIl9M&t=2s


Ingredients:
For Vegetables
1/2 small capsicum (preferably green), finely chopped
1/4 cauliflower, grated
2-3 small potatoes, scrubbed (DO NOT PEEL)- you can just cut it into half to help it boil faster
1/2 small carrot, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp frozen green peas
1/4 cup French beans, finely chopped
About 2-3 cups (or so) water to boil
1 tsp butter

For Gravy
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground asafoetida (hing: Hindi)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera: Hindi)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2" ginger
2-3 small tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 green chilli
1/2 red chilli
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp (or less) red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi: Hindi)
3/4-1 tsp pav bhaji masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp (or less) lemon juice

To Serve
1 tbsp coriander leaves, for garnish
4 hamburger buns
1 1/2 tbsp butter
Pinch of ground turmeric, pav bhaji masala and red chilli powder
Few slices of onion mixed with lemon juice, coriander leaves and black salt

METHOD
For Vegetables
1. Heat water for boiling in a saucepan. Place all vegetables, except capsicum, to cook till soft- a little more than fork tender. DO NOT DISCARD WATER.

2. Take out potatoes from the rest of the vegetables and peel off skin. Keep all vegetables aside.

3. Heat butter in a small pan, add capsicum and saute till little soft. Keep aside.

For Gravy
1. Heat 1 tbsp butter, add asafoetida and cumin. Wait till cumin seeds crackle a little.
2. Add onions, and cook till translucent. Take off heat.
3. Make a paste of ginger, garlic and red chilli.
4. Heat remaining amt of butter, add ginger etc. paste and cook till fragrant.
5. Add tomatoes and cook till oil separates.
6. Add green chilli and cook for about 2-3 mins.
7. Add potatoes and other vegetables except capsicum. Mash them till well combined and slightly soft.
8. Add salt, about a pinch of turmeric, less than 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 3/4 tsp pav bhaji masala and less than 1/2 tsp garam masala. Add lemon juice. You can add about 1/4 cup or so water at this point and then cover up and let it cook for about 10 mins.
9. Add the remaining amount of spices into your gravy, and season as per your preference.
10. Dot with a little butter if you like and cover up and cook again.

For Serving
1. Cut the buns lengthwise
2. Heat a skillet with butter and let it melt a bit.
3. Add turmeric, pav bhaji masala etc to the butter
4. Toast your buns in that butter till golden brown.
5. Serve pav bhaji garnished with coriander, with buns and onions (as mentioned above)

TIPS- #'s 2 to 4 are by Courtesy of Jit

1. You can add your cumin seed after onion as well.
2. Adding 80% spices during cooking and 20% after helps it to be more aromatic and flavourful .
3. You can do the same with the peas, so that the peas added after last stages remain fresh and sweet.
4. Be careful you don't add too much carrot, capsicum, onion or peas, as it will be sweet.
5. Do not add too much salt if you have added salt whilst boiling potatoes.
6. If you want you can even add a little bit of eggplant and/or bottle gourd, but be careful it's not too much either as pav bhaji will be bitter otherwise.