Pav Baaji

Pav Baaji is one of the most popular evening snack. Now it is available at almost all places. Like in any other household, Pav Baajis have become our standard recipe whenever my kids college is shut due  to one or other reason. After observing the baaji made at roadside eateries, I started making them on my own. All what you require is pav, sold in bakeries, and ingredients mostly used in our routine cooking.

The ingredients to make Baaji

 Whole sort of vegetables like:

1.      Louki or Ash Guard  or Anapakay (as known in Andhra Pradesh) skin peeled and cut to squares – 2 cups

2. Potatoes (Medium)  skin peeled and cut to squares - 3 Nos.
3. Carrot - Large - skin peeled and cut to squares- 2 Nos
4. Beetroot (Optional) - skin peeled and cut to squares - 1 Medium
5. Brinjal (Blue) - Large -  1 No
6. Green peas - 1 fist full 
7. Bell Pepper (capsicum) -  Medium, 1 No.- finely chopped
8. Onion - Medium - 2 Nos. finely chopped
9. Green Chillies – 1 or 2,  chopped
10. Ginger –  1 inch long - peeled and chopped
11. Garlik (optional) – 2 or 3 pods and chopped
12. Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
13. Salt to taste
14. Turmeric power - 1 pinch
15. Chilli powder (Kashmiri chilli- gives bright colour ) - 1 to  2 tsp
16. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
17. Tomato puree or ketchup - 1 table spoon
18. Hot chilli sauce - 2 tsp 
19. Fenugreek seeds - 1 or 2 tsp
20. Cumin seeds - 1 or 2 tsp
21. Saunf - 1 tsp
22. Tomatoes finely chopped

How to make Baaji:

1.      Wash and pressure cook items 1 to 6

2.      Drain the vegetable stock completely and transfer the ingredients into a SS bowl

3.      In a vok add ghee / vegetable oil. After oil is heated add the finely onion till it is cooked. Then add the finely chopped bell pepper ( capsicum) and fry till the raw smell disappear.

4.      Grind the green chilly, ginger and garlic into fine paste and add the ingredient to the onion-bell pepper mixture. Fry till the raw smell disappear.

5.      Take the vegetables into  a SS bowl and mash it well

6.      Transfer the mashed vegetables into the onion-bell pepper – masala mixture. Thoroughly mix them.

7.      In another vok, add some oil add fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and saunf and after 20 seconds add the Tomato puree or tomato ketchup. Add the chilly sauce, turmeric, pav baaji masala, garam masala and dry mango powder (amchoor powder) and let it be on heat for one minute.

8.      Add the above mixture ( no.7) to the vegetable mixture and mix thoroughly. Adjust the salt. A tsp. of jiggery can be added to taste.

9.      Dress the baaji with coriander leaves and onion.

Pav Preparation

1.      Cut the pav bread into half and paint it with butter.

2.      Fry the pavs in the thick bottom pan till golden colour appears.