Pav Baaji

I have never in my life had pav baaji! It always looked so yummy whenever I looked at it in Indian movies, but I never gotten a chance to try it. I always thought of making a attempt to make it but it seemed like a lot of work to do. Personally didn’t want to make something that I wouldn’t know the outcome to. I looked at a couple of recipes and then came up with my own, switched a few things around to my liking and here is my take on pav baaji. This is how I made it and it was family approved so I thought should share it. If there are any pros out there do comment below letting me know how you make pav baaji, I would love to know.

SERVING SIZE: 4-6 PREP TIME: 1 hour COOK TIME: 1 hour TOTAL TIME: 2 hours

Ingredients

Pav Recipe

  • 1 cup warm milk
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Butter for greasing bowl

Baaji Recipe

Baaji masala

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • Tiny stick of cinnamon
  • 4 cardamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorn

Baaji Ingredients

  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp garlic crushed
  • 1 tsp ginger crushed
  • 1 tsp red chilly powder
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
  • 4 roma tomatoes
  • 4 yellow potatoes medium size
  • 1 cup carrot match sticks
  • 1 cup peas
  • 2 onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 serrano
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • 4 tbsp butter

Garnish

  • Onions
  • Cilantro
  • 1/2 serrano pepper
  • Butter optional

Directions

Pav Recipe

  1. In one cup warm milk add 1 tsp sugar and mix in 1 tsp dry yeast. Let it proof for 10 mins. I like to clear wrap and set a 10 min timer.
  2. In a large bowl add in 3 cups all purpose flour and salt stir then make a well in the center and add in the yeast mixture.
  3. You will knead this for 10 mins. Then Add in 1/4 milk and knead again for 5 mins and then add in 2 tbsp butter and finishing kneading till a soft dough forms, tuck and cover.
  4. In a greased bowl add in the dough, clear wrap and set timer for 1hour.
  5. After 1 hour punch down the dough and knead 3 mins. Cut the dough into 9 pieces. Make into balls and set inside a square baking pan that has been greased with butter. If you like to you can parchment paper the pan as well.
  6. Brush with milk and melted butter. Clear wrap again and let it rise for 20 mins.
  7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  8. After the buns have proofed for 20 mins. Remove clear wrap and bake @ 350 for 20 mins. Brush with some butter after they have been baked.

Lets make the bhaaji

  1. Star by roasting the bhaaji masalas in a small pan on low medium heat for 3-5 mins till well fragrant. Turn off the heat, let it cool and then grind to powder and set aside.
  2. In a pressure cooker on medium high heat add in oil, and zeera.
  3. Next add in tomatoes and crushed ginger/garlic.
  4. To that you will add in carrots peas, and potatoes.
  5. Salt, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, half of bhaaji masala. Mix well and add 1 cup water and let it pressure cook on high till 3-4 whistles. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release on its own.
  6. Carefully take the lid off and with a potato masher mash the bhaaji masala into smaller bits and pieces. Empty the pressure cooker and keep the bhaaji in a bowl for later use.
  7. To the same pressure cooker add in 3 tbsp oil and chopped onions. Cook till nicely translucent. Add in butter and then bhaaji mixtiure that you had set aside earlier. To this you will add in rest of the bhaaji masala and salt to taste. At this point you can add in cilantro, serrano pepper. Cook 10 more mins till well cooked and color slightly changed.
  8. Serve warm pav bhaaji topped with butter:)
  • Make sure that the yeast gets bubbles after 10 mins. If it doesn’t get any bubbles its of no use.
  • Make a well in the center and add the yeast milk mixture.
  • Knead for 10 mins, dough will look like this. Then add in 1/4 cup milk.
  • Now knead in 2 tbsp butter.
  • Form into a smooth bowl and let it proof for a hour. Make sure to place it in a greased bowl with clear wrap.
  • After one hour dough should look like this. Punch it down and knead for 2 mins.
  • Make into 9 rolls. Tuck and place in a square pan.
What the rolls should look like after 20 mins proofing. Make sure to brush with milk and melted butter:)
Bake at 350 for 20 mins. Brush with butter once out of the oven.

Lets work on our pav baaji

  • Crushed ginger garlic.
  • Add in one cup of water and pressure cook till 3 whistles
  • Using a potato masher, mash the mixture then remove from pot and set aside.
  • Into the same pot add in oil and butter to continue cooking.
Garnish and serve with warm pav đŸ™‚

Make sure to comment below and let me know what you thought of this recipe. Also if there are any pav baaji pros out there, let me know how you make it! We loved eating this, it was different then the usual Sunday brunch and so delicious.

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