Pav Bhaji – Recipe for Indian vegetable puree

Every year the Diwali festival is a highlight for a large part of the Indian population. It is comparable to our Christmas, where families meet, everything is decorated, gifts are exchanged and of course a lot of good food is eaten.

This year I was present at a Diwali party in Düsseldorf and also helped to prepare the festive meal. Besides the chickpea dish „Chana Masala / Chole“ Pragya cooked this Pav Bhaji, which consists of a colorful composition of vegetables and some spices. By the way, you can read about which spices are typical for Indian cuisine in my article about Indian food and cooking.

The food looks like it has been eaten before during the preparation but it is really tasty. It is best to eat Pav Bhaji together with toasted light bread.

Preparation of the Pav Bhaji

1. First peel and cut the large vegetables into small pieces. Cook the eggplant, potatoes, carrot and peas until they are done. Then put them aside to cool.

2. Heat some oil in a large pan or ideally a wok. Peel and chop the garlic, onions and piece of ginger. First fry the cumin, ginger and garlic over medium heat.

3. Then add the onions, turmeric and masala spice and mix well.

4. Add the sliced tomatoes and after about a minute the diced peppers and let everything cook for about 5 minutes with the lid closed.

5. In the meantime, you can mash the slightly cooled, cooked vegetables into a coarse mass.

6. Stir the vegetable mixture into the wok and let everything simmer over medium heat. To be honest, the mixture now looks like it has been eaten before, but it exudes a delicious, oriental smell.

7. After another 5 minutes you can add another tablespoon of butter and the juice of half a lime and let it simmer on low heat.

8. Bake an Indian naan or fry soft bread in a pan with some oil and serve it together with the Pav Bhaji. Bon appetite.

Pav Bhaji – My conclusion about Diwali food

It was my first Diwali festival and I like it. You can try so many delicious Indian dishes in one go. The Pav Bhaji was definitely one of my favorite dishes because it was somehow creamy at the same time and had this typical Indian taste.
Together with naan or some fried bread, you can serve the Pav Bhaji as finger food at your next party.

What do you think about Indian cuisine? What are your favorite dishes? I am looking forward to your comments.

More matching dishes and articles can be found here:

• Indian food and cooking – from spices to food culture
• Rasgulla – Ein indischer Nachtisch mit nur 3 Zutaten
• Green Chutney – Frischer Kräuter-Dip aus Indien
• Chana Masala – Chickpeas for the Indian Diwali Festival
• Indian Palak Dal – Vegan specialty with lentils and spinach