Khada pav bhaji is a delicious variant of the traditional and popular Mumbai Pav Bhaji where the vegetables are not mashed but kept whole as chunks. This variant is also served by the street food carts in Mumbai as well as in some restaurants. Serve with some fluffy dinner rolls aka pav or with some soft roti or chapati for a filling and satisfying meal.
Basically in this version, the chopped and cooked vegetables are kept intact and chunky. The veggies are not mashed. That’s it. The recipe for making khada pav bhaji, is same as the regular one.
I have had khada pav bhaji umpteen times in Mumbai along with Paneer Pav Bhaji. Since it is a favorite dish, I do make it often. This time I decided to make khada pav bhaji, instead of mashed version. If you have not tried this version, then you must try it. I do like mashed bhaji but if you give me an option between mashed and khada pav bhaji, then I will go for the kada pav bhaji.
You might feel that it is more like eating a typically onion-tomato based mixed vegetable dish. But it is not. Khada pav bhaji has the pav bhaji taste and feel to it as the pav bhaji masala powder is also added.
Something about adding onions to bhaji. I have made bhaji both with and without onions and I like the taste of both. You decide and choose as per your taste, if you want to add onions to the recipe or not.
In this recipe though, I have added onions. By the way, till now, I have always seen the pav bhaji wallahs in Mumbai adding onions while making bhaji. And as a teen too when I used to make this dish at home, I used to add onions to the recipe. However, if you wish then you can skip adding onions and the bhaji will still taste good.
How to Make Khada Pav Bhaji
1. First take the chopped veggies, mainly:
- ½ to ¾ cup cauliflower florets
- 2 medium potatoes – cubed
- 2 to 3 small carrots – cubed
- ⅓ cup green peas – fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup french beans – chopped
You can either rinse or chop them or rinse after chopping them.
2. Keep the veggies in a pan or stovetop pressure cooker. Now add water to the veggies just about covering them.
You can also steam the veggies in a pan or the pressure cooker.
4. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt or as required.
5. Pressure cook or boil the veggies for 1 to 2 whistles or till they are almost softened and tender. Do not overcook the veggies.
6. In the picture below, the veggies are cooked. Strain the veggies and keep the broth or stock aside.
7. In the meantime, when the vegetables are cooking, you can prepare the following ingredients:
- 1 medium-sized onion – finely chopped
- 1 green chilli – finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger – Note that half of the ginger is to be chopped and the remaining half to be made into a paste.
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes – finely chopped
- 1 medium-sized capsicum – finely chopped
8. In the mortar and pestle crush the remaining half of the ginger and 5 to 6 medium sized garlic cloves. You can keep it coarsely crushed or make a fine paste. You could also use ready ginger-garlic paste.
9. In a kadai or a big tava or skillet heat around 2 tablespoons butter or oil.
10. Add the finely chopped onions and saute stirring often till they become translucent.
11. Then add the finely chopped tomatoes.
12. Also add the finely chopped ginger, green chilies and capsicum.
13. Stir and saute for 7 to 8 minutes stirring in between till the tomatoes soften and become mushy.
14. Now add ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder.
15. Mix the spice powders and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
16. Add the ginger-garlic paste or crushed ginger-garlic.
17. Mix it very well and saute for 2 minutes more.
18. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter to the masala.
19. Add the boiled vegetables.
20. Stir and mix gently to combine.
21. Add ½ to 1 tablespoon Pav Bhaji Masala Powder.
22. Add about 1 or 1.5 cups of stock or water or both stock+water.
23. Gently mix the entire mixture.
24. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes on low heat till the gravy thickens a bit.
25. Keep checking the bhaji in between and give a stir.
26. Now, add the garam masala powder and gently mix it with the rest of the bhaji.
27. Lastly, add chopped coriander leaves. Check the taste and adjust spices and salt as per your taste. The bhaji is ready now to be served with the pav.
28. Slice the pavs into equal half. Lightly toast or pan fry them on the tava or griddle with some butter.
Lightly toast on both sides of the pav adding butter as needed. You can use any type of pav like whole wheat pav or made with all-purpose flour.
But make sure that the pav is soft so that it soaks up the bhaji gravy.
Serve the Khada Pav Bhaji topped with butter and with warm pav, chopped onion and chopped lemon or lime.
Garnish the bhaji with coriander leaves. While eating top the bhaji with onions and squeeze some lemon or lime juice on top.
Dip the pav in the bhaji and enjoy.
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Khada Pav Bhaji (With Vegetable Chunks)
Ingredients
- ½ to ¾ cup cauliflower florets
- 2 to 3 small carrots – cubed
- ¼ cup french beans – chopped
- 2 medium potatoes – cubed
- ⅓ cup green peas – fresh or frozen
- 1 medium onion – finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes – finely chopped
- 1 green chili – finely chopped
- 1 medium sized capsicum, (bell pepper) – finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger – use half of the ginger for making the ginger-garlic paste and half to be chopped
- 5 to 6 medium sized garlic cloves – chopped
- ½ to 1 tablespoon Pav Bhaji Masala
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- a few sprigs of coriander leaves, for garnish
- chopped lemon to be served with pav bhaji
- 2 to 3 tablespoons butter or oil – preferably amul butter
- salt as required
- water as required
Instructions
Preparation
- First take the chopped veggies, mainly: cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, peas and beans. Keep these in a pan or cooker. Now add water to the veggies just about covering them.
- Pressure cook or boil the veggies for 1 to 2 whistles or till they are almost cooked. Do not over cook the veggies. Strain the veggies and keep the broth or stock aside.
- In the meantime, when the vegetables are cooking, chop the onions, green chillies, ginger, tomatoes and capsicum.
- In the mortar and pestle crush the remaining half ginger and garlic cloves. You can keep it coarsely crushed or make a fine paste. You could also use ready ginger-garlic paste.
Making khada pav bhaji
- In a kadai or a big tava or skillet heat up 2 tablespoons of oil or butter. Add the onions and saute stirring often till they become transparent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger, green chillies and capsicum. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes stirring in between.
- Now add the red chili powder and turmeric powder. Mix the powders and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add in the ginger garlic paste or crushed ginger garlic. Mix it and saute for 2 minutes more.
- Add 1 to 2 tablespoon butter to the masala.
- Add the boiled vegetables and the pav bhaji masala powder.
- Add about 1 or 1.5 cups of broth or water or both broth+water. Gently mix the entire mixture.
- Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes on a low heat. Keep checking the bhaji in between and give a stir often.
- Now, add the garam masala powder and gently mix it with the rest of the bhaji.
- Lastly, add chopped coriander leaves.
- Your khada pav bhaji is ready now. Slice the pavs and fry them on the tava or griddle with some butter. Serve the bhaji topped with butter with the warm pavs, chopped onion and chopped lemon.
- Garnish the bhaji with coriander leaves while serving.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled to make a small or a big batch.
- You can alter the proportions of the vegetables used.
- To make a spicy version add more green chilies and red chili powder.
- For a wholesome meal serve with whole wheat pav or roti.
- The vegetables can be steamed or cooked in a pan or Instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker adding water as required. However keep in mind to cook the vegetables until they are almost tender. Don’t overcook them as later they can get mushy and pasty while cooking.
This Khada Pav Bhaji post from the archives (September 2010) has been republished and updated on 25 September 2021.
This seems very delicious… Definitely i need to try it asap 🙂
thanks gustavo. do try the recipe.
dish looking nice i will try it thankx
The effort you have taken to write down and put up photos in such detail is laudatory, really helps novice cooks like me:-), am planning on making khada pav bhaji today. Earlier I had tried badhshah, no good flavour at all and then quickly i changed to MTR which was very hot but the flavour is still missing. I guess as you suggested i will stick to garam masala and amchur this time. hope it turns out well
thanks kiran for your positive comments. the khada pav bhaji will surely turn out well.
the best garam masala is Catch kitchen king. almost all catch masalas taste better than rest of competitors.
Hi,
I too don’t like the vegetables overcooked so can you tell me how to pressure cook the veggies till they are done and not overcooked? i.e. Time in pressure cooker??
i think instead of pressure cooking its better to cook steam the vegetables in a pan or a steamer. different vegetables have different cooking time and if you pressure cook some may get cooked and some may still be half cooked.
but still if you have to go for pressure cooking, then just give one whistle which may take about 3-4 minutes depending on the size of your pressure cooker. after one whistle if the veggies are not cooked than cook them for a few minutes in the pressure cooker itself but without the lid… two whistles would also be fine…..depends on the quantity of vegetables used and the size of the pressure cooker.
another option would be to microwave the vegetables…
Hi Dassana,
I tried this dish for dinner yesterday and it tasted really very nice.
Most of your recipes use simple spices yet tasty outcome. 🙂 Thank you very much.
thankyou priya and thank you also for taking the time to post all the comments. I am glad that the kada pav bhaji came out very well. I feel good and it encourages me more, to write and share good recipes.
Hi Dassana,
The dish looks nice. Will try it for evening snack or may be for dinner n will let you know how it tasted.
Can you tell me which brand of ‘Garam masala’ tastes good? I have been using ‘Everest’, but then, the flavour is not so satisfactory. Thanks n Bye.
I have tried the everest and mdh brand, but they were ok….. sometimes the aroma is not fresh, sometimes the powder looks dull. I prefer using garam masala made at home. So I always make it at home.
Since, we are talking about masalas here, i have used the Badshah Biryani Masala and the Badshah Pav Bhaji Masala and both of them were good. I have never used their garam masala, though. I think since the above two masalas are good, their garam masala may also be good.