A Pav Bhaji is the quintessential indian street food. The OG veggie burger. It’s like sloppy joe meets veg curry!
Pav Bhaji is a great way to use up leftover veggies – basically you take a whole bunch of steamed veggies, cook them together with some flavourful spices to make a delicious mix that is spread onto some toasted dinner rolls for a filling veggie meal or quick snack or meal.
What to do with leftover Pav Bhaji?
The thing about a pav bhaji recipe is that it makes a whole lot of veg stuffing that you could eat for days! Which is not entirely bad, but eating the same thing can get boring. So I decided to switch things up and turn them into pav bhaji patties!
Basically, switch out your basic dinner roll pav bhaji with some puff pastry and bake your patties to turn them into a delicious tea time snack or picnic food.
The best Veggies for Pav Bhaji
I prefer root veggies in pav bhaji. Ideally there is some potato, carrot, cauliflower and green pepper in there. But feel free to switch up and use whatever veg you have on hand. If you can steam it, it can become pav bhaji. That is the beauty of pav bhaji it is a very forgiving recipe that makes use of whatever you have on hand.
DIY Pav Bhaji Masala
While you can get pav bhaji masala at most desi grocery stores, I find it very easy to make my own since I already have all the spices on hand:
- 1 tbsp amchoor – dried mango powder
- 1 tbsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- pinch clove
- pinch cardamom
- pinch cinnamon
If you want to go the extra mile to get even better flavour start with whole version of the spices and dry roast till fragrant before grinding them yourself in a coffee grinder. It will make a huge difference in flavour!
If I don’t have the time though I will just mix the ground version of all the spices together into the base pav bhaji masala as it cooks in the pan, and let it cook for about 30 seconds before I add the liquid to help bring out the flavours of the spices.
Have you had a pav bhaji patty before? It is perfect for snacking or a quick meal when you want to eat on the go!
Pav Bhaji Patties
Ingredients
- 2 large potatoes, boiled (feel free to switch the up the root veggies as you like – cauliflower or turnip will work great too)
- 2 large carrots, boiled
- 1 small green pepper, boiled
- 1/2 cup frozen green peas
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (I use avocado or canola)
- 3 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 medium onions, diced
- 2 inch ginger, minced
- 7 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 green chillies
- 3 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/3 cup tomato puree
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1 1/4 cup water, divided
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to desired spice level)
- 2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 3 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- 1/2 medium lemon, juiced
Pav Bhaji Masala
- 1 tbsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
- pinch ground cardamom
- pinch ground cloves
- pinch ground cinnamon
For Hand Pies
- 2 packs frozen puff pastry sheets (approx 450g ea.)
- 1 large egg, beaten
Instructions
Make the Pav Bhaji
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the roughly chopped potato, carrot and green pepper. Bring to a boil and allow to cook until fork tender. Meanwhile prep the remaining ingredients. Once the veggies are cooked, drain and set aside.
- In a large wok, on medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter, 1 tbsp oil and allow the butter to melt and get foamy. Add the cumin seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to sizzle.
- Add the chopped onions and mix well. Stir fry for 10-15 minutes till the onions start turning golden brown and tender. Add minced ginger, garlic and green chillies. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes to allow the tomatoes to start to soften. Add 1/3 cup tomato puree, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and let cook for 6-7 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften completely.
- Add the pav bhaji masala, red chilli powder and 1 tsp salt. Mix well.
- Add 2 tsp kasuri methi and mix again.
- Stir in the boiled veggies and mix. Use a potato masher or a hand blender. Mash the veggies until they are completely mixed with the masala and no longer in large chunks. If you prefer a smoother pav masala, feel free to blend to a pure consistency. I like it a bit chunky so I used a hand masher.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of water and stir to combine. Cover the pot and set heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Uncover, add 2 tbsp butter, chopped cilanto and lemon juice to taste. Mix well, cook for 2 more minute and then remove from the heat.
- You can serve this pav with some toasted dinner rolls veggie burger style, or allow it to cool and move on to making the hand pies (patties).
Make the Patties
- Preheat oven to 400F (204C).
- Allow the pav bhaji mixture to cool to room temperature and defrost the puff pastry sheet.
- Roll out one puff pastry sheet and cut into approx. 4in (10cm) squares. Spread 1-2 tbsp of the pav bhaji mixture on one end of the square, leaving a bit of space at the sides. Gently roll into a log shape, or fold into a triangle. Make any shape you like as long as you seal the ends all the way around by pinching them closed.
- Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining puff pastry squares making sure the pies have an inch of space in between.
- Brush with 1 beaten egg on top and use a toothpick or fork to pierce a hole on top.
- Bake in 400F oven for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown and firm. You may need to broil for the last 1-2 minutes to get them golden brown.
- Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Or freeze for future quick meals.
