Pav-bhaji

Pav-bhaji is a famous street food of Mumbai. It has bhaji, which is a Marathi name for the spicy gravy made of mixed vegetables and pav or Pau or Pao the Portuguese word for bread or bread roll. The latter was introduced to Mumbaikars by the Portuguese during their brief stay in Maharashtra.
This dish is supposed to have been the food of textile mill workers in the 1850s. The mill workers then had very short lunch breaks and were forced to return to heavy physical labour after lunch. Considering these two facts, a vendor created bhaji by combining the different curries or the different items on the lunch menu into one. Rice was replaced with pav to make it even lighter. Together, it was called pav-bhaji. 

Today, this street food is also served in many restaurants and in many varieties.
One among them is Cheese Pav Bhaji, in which the bhaji has garnishing’s of cheese.
In paneer Pav Bhaji, the bhaji has paneer (cottage cheese), besides the vegetables.
In Jain Pav Bhaji, potatoes are replaced with plantain and it does not have onion or garlic either.
Kolhapuri Pav Bhaji is extra spicy as it uses Kolhapur chillies.

Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes 200gms
Grated carrot - 1/2 cup
Boiled peas -1/4cup
Boiled cauliflower -100gms
Tomatoes puree -2cups
Chopped onion - 1 cup
Garlic paste -1/2 tsp
Ginger paste -1/2tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2tsp
Coriander powder -1/2tsp

Cumin powder -1/2tsp

Garam masala powder - 1tsp
Chilli powder -1tsp
Pepper powder -1tsp
Asafoetida -1/4tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
Sugar - 2tsps
Butter -25gms
Salt to taste

Method:
Mash the potatoes, cauliflower and peas well. Keep it aside. In a flat frying pan/wok heat some butter and fry the onion. When it changes colour add the garlic and ginger paste. Fry for few seconds. Then add the asafoetida powder. Stir for few seconds. Next, add all the other powders, tomato puree, sugar and salt. Cook for few minutes. Finally, add the mashed vegetables and grated carrot. Add some water and check the consistency. Cook till is blended well. Garnish with coriander leaves and dollops of butter. Serve along with butter toasted pav/bread rolls.