Pav Bhaji Recipe (Instant Pot & Stovetop)

Instant Pot Pav Bhaji Masala is the most popular Indian street food recipe! Bhaji means mixed vegetable and pav means it's served with bread!

Loaded with veggies and layered with butter, this snack can easily be made vegan and takes just minutes in the Instant Pot. 

Favorite street food of Bombay

Pav Bhaji is a favorite snack of Bombay-ites, after Vada Pav that is! One plate of pav bhaji that's smothered with butter can lift anyone's mood!

This dish originated back in the 1800s as a fast lunchtime dish for textile mill workers in Mumbai. It was supposed to be an inexpensive dish that the workers could afford to buy.

The veggies they used mainly were onions, tomatoes, and potatoes as they were available at cheap prices. Other expensive veggies were used in less quantity or even skipped. 

This mixed vegetable then slowly started gaining cult status and began to be served at restaurants and by street food vendors throughout the city in every variation possible. 

Today it is offered at various outlets right from simple hand carts on the streets to formal restaurants in India and all over the world. 

What is Pav Bhaji

It's basically a mixed vegetable gravy and that' called Bhaji. The veggies are cooked and mashed then layered with butter. The flavoring comes from a special spice mix called Pav Bhaji Masala that's used to make this dish. 

The Bhaji is popularly served with Pav (Indian Dinner Rolls) which also is smothered in butter. Yes, this recipe doesn't shy away from the use of butter and that's what makes it so delicious.

This mixed vegetable snack is very popular even in households as it is one of the easiest and yummiest dishes one can ask for!

I remember, whenever we would visit Juhu or Chowpatty beach, eating pav bhaji at the local stall there was like a must-do ritual. The whole beach would be filled with the aroma of it!

There is also a restaurant in Chembur (a place in Bombay) called Sadguru that is famous for its pav bhaji and milkshakes. You must try it if you get a chance.  

Street food is a cuisine by itself

I really feel very strongly about this! Street food deserves its own cuisine. I am not just talking about Indian street food but across the globe. 

I love the creativity that comes with street foods. Plus all these recipes are quick to make and great on flavors. It totally resonates with my kind of food. 

In fact, one of my guilty pleasures is watching food shows that cover different kinds of street foods around the world. I love knowing about the story behind the creation of each recipe. 

Talking about Indian street food, we do have a plethora of dishes that have attained cult status. You will find a street vendor on every corner of the streets. 

The way to know if their food is good is to gauge the crowd around it. If there are a lot of customers around it, then it's one popular food joint. 

I have grown up on street food and really miss it here in the US. Since here I have no choice, I have to make it at home myself.

Why make this

We normally make pav bhaji when our friends come over! It's quick and easy to make. Plus it's a crowd favorite! No one says NO to pav bhaji! 

My mom would also make this when she had an assortment of leftover veggies in the fridge. This was her way of emptying the fridge and sneaking in veggies we didn't like! 

While the authentic recipe calls for lots of butter, you can easily make a leaner version by using oil and skipping the butter. 

• Loaded with veggies
• A wholesome, comforting meal
• Is vegan and gluten-free
• Can be made on the stovetop or Instant Pot
• Is an ideal dish when cooking for a crowd

Vegetables - This mixed vegetable recipe calls for a variety of veggies. It is the heart of this recipe. You can add as many or as few as you like. 

I have used tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, beets (helps give it a natural color), cauliflower, green peas, green beans, bell pepper, and onions in this recipe.

Other veggies - Ginger, garlic, and serrano peppers or green chilies help boost the flavors.

Spices - Cumin seeds, chilly powder, and turmeric help bring out the color, spice, and taste. 

Pav Bhaji Masala - This is a special spice mix that's used in this recipe. It is easily available in any Indian grocery store or on Amazon. One packet lasts me about 6 months. 

I stick to tried and tested brands like Everest or Badshah. Even Rasoi Magic is a good brand. 

I don't just use this spice mix for this recipe, I also add it to Dosa Waffles, certain curries like Rajma, Chole, and rice to give it a different flavor. 

Bread - The Indian Pav is the best accompaniment for this bhaji. Or you can use Dinner rolls, Water rolls, burger buns, potato rolls, or plain bread slices will do. Basically, use unsweetened or any kind of savory bread.

Butter - This really is one of the key ingredients in this pav bhaji recipe. Use plain salted butter (vegan or regular) for more flavor. 

Protein - This is purely optional. You can add crumbled paneer or tofu depending upon the diet you follow. You may also mix in some beans.

Cilantro and lemon juice are added as garnish and give this recipe of pav bhaji the required aroma and tang. 

Instant Pot Version

This is my fail-proof recipe for making pav bhaji in the Instant Pot.

1. Turn on the Instant pot in saute mode. Add vegan butter to it. Once the pot beeps, add cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, onions, and serrano peppers. Saute for 30 seconds.
2. Then add the roughly chopped tomatoes along with salt. Cook till they turn mushy and soft. 
3. Add the veggies like beets, carrots, green peas, and green beans. Mix and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Then add the remaining veggies like cauliflower and potatoes along with salt and turmeric powder. Add vegetable stock or water and give it all a good mix. Cancel the saute mode and close the instant pot with its lid. Cook in manual mode for 6 minutes with the valve in seal position.
5. Release pressure manually when it beeps and open the lid. Mash this mixture coarse using a potato masher or an Immersion Blender. 
6. Turn on the saute mode and add crumbled tofu, pav bhaji masala, chilly powder, and salt if needed.  Chef Tip - Before serving, garnish it with lots of chopped cilantro, and onions along with some lemon juice. 

Stovetop Version

• Blanch/steam/cook the peas, cauliflower florets, potatoes, carrots, and green beans. Alternately, you can also boil them with a little water and a pinch of turmeric powder in the pressure cooker.
• Drain (but keep the water) and mash coarsely. The water that you just drained can be used as vegetable stock and added later in this recipe as needed. 
• Heat butter in a pan. Temper cumin seeds and once they crackle add slit serrano peppers, minced garlic, and ginger. Fry for a minute and then add chopped onions. Saute till they turn translucent.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and salt. Saute it well till the tomatoes turn soft and mushy.
• Next, add the chopped bell peppers and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Then add the dry spices like turmeric powder, chilly powder, and pav bhaji masala. Mix and fry for another minute.
• Add more butter at this stage. Then add the mashed veggies. Add paneer/tofu as well. Mix it all together and add little water. Simmer and bring to a boil.
• Then turn off the flame and garnish with chopped cilantro, chopped onions, and lemon juice. 

Prep the bread

Instead of serving the bread as is, pack it with more flavor by toasting the pav with salted butter.

• Heat a griddle and add some salted vegan butter to it.
• As it melts, sprinkle black salt and a tablespoon of the bhaji or the masala. This step is optional but great if you can do it. 
• Slit the pav in the middle and place it on the griddle. Cook both sides of the bread in spiced butter. Prepare as many pavs as you want in a similar fashion. 

Serving Suggestions 🍽

Garnish is very important in the Pav Bhaji recipe. Garnish it with lots of chopped onions, cilantro, and lemon juice. And yes, don't forget to add some more butter on top. Trust me, butter is what makes pav bhaji - AWESOME!

Pav Bhaji can be enjoyed for the main course or as a snack. It's great for parties and get-togethers. 

Ever since I discovered that pav bhaji can easily be made in the Instant pot, I have not gone back to the stovetop version. It's just more convenient one-pot cooking. 

Top recipe tips 💭

Feel free to add or skip any veggies you like. This recipe is totally customizable. You can totally make a carb-free version by not using potatoes and peas. 

Butter is significant to pav bhaji masala. Do not skimp it unless you're cooking a leaner version. If your not a vegan, then use regular salted butter. 

The consistency of the bhaji is important. It should be thick and not too runny. Add water or stock accordingly. You can also garnish it with a fried green chilly if you like it hotter.

If cooking in the Instant Pot, the cooking time will remain the same even if you double or triple the pav bhaji recipe. The Pot will just take longer to come to pressure.

Recipe FAQs 📖

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