A quick and easy recipe of Instant Pot Pav Bhaji that is just as tasty and satisfying like the classic one. All you got to do is to dunk in the bhaji ingredients in the inner pot of the IP and cook it. Once done, serve with some lovely toasted pavs or dinner rolls and relish a hearty and fulfilling meal.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 5
  • Category: Snacks
  • Cuisine: Indian Street Food

Ingredients

  • 2 cups potatoes (- chopped, 250 grams)
  • ½ cup onions (- finely chopped, 50 to 60 grams)
  • 2 cups tomatoes (- chopped, 300 grams)
  • ¾ to 1 cup cauliflower florets (- chopped, 100 grams)
  • ¾ cup carrots (- chopped, 100 grams)
  • ⅓ cup capsicum (- chopped (green bell pepper))
  • ½ cup green peas (- fresh or frozen)
  • ¼ cup french beans (- chopped, optional)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons butter (- salted or unsalted)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons ginger garlic paste (or 1.5 inch ginger and 5 to 6 medium garlic cloves crushed in a mortar-pestle)
  • 1 to 2 green chilies (- chopped or 1 to 2 serrano peppers)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 to 1.5 teaspoons kashmiri chilli powder (or ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or paprika)
  • 1.25 cups water
  • salt (as per taste)
  • 2 tablespoons Pav Bhaji Masala
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons butter (- to be added later)
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped, (cilantro))
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped (cilantro), for garnish)
  • ½ cup onion (- finely chopped + 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves - mixed well)
  • 1 lemon (- chopped in wedges)
  • butter (- as required while topping bhaji)
  • 10 to 12 pav ((dinner rolls))
  • butter (- as required for toasting pav)

Method

Preparation

  1. Firstly rinse and chop all the veggies and keep them ready. You can add your choice of vegetables.

Sautéing

  1. Turn on the instant pot. Press the sauté button on less mode. Add 2 tablespoons butter in the inner pot of the Instant Pot.
  2. When the butter melts, add cumin seeds and let them splutter and change color.
  3. Then add finely chopped onions and sauté onions until they soften.
  4. Next add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies.
  5. Stir and sauté for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic dissipates.
  6. Next add chopped tomatoes and chopped capsicum. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
  7. Add the chopped veggies and green peas.
  8. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 to 1.5 teaspoons kashmiri red chilli powder. If using any other red chili powder or cayenne pepper, then you can add less of it.
  9. Also, add salt as per taste. Mix everything very well.
  10. Add water and stir to combine.

Pressure cooking

  1. Press the cancel button. Then press the pressure cooker/manual button and set time to 7 minutes on high pressure.
  2. When the beep sound is heard and the pressure cooking is complete, carefully do a quick pressure release (qpr).
  3. When all the pressure is released, open the lid.

Making Instant Pot Pav Bhaji

  1. Using a napkin or oven mittens, remove the steel inner pot from the instant pot. Place it on your kitchen counter.
  2. With a potato masher, begin to mash the cooked vegetables. Mash very well.You can even use an immersion blender and puree the veggies. Just make a semi-fine puree.
  3. Now add 2 tablespoons pav bhaji masala and 1 to 2 tablespoons butter. You can skip the butter if you want. Mix very well.
  4. Place the inner pot back again in the IP. Press the cancel button and then press the sauté button on normal mode. Set the timer to 3 to 5 minutes or more.
  5. Simmer the bhaji for a few minutes, until the consistency thickens a bit and you get the desired consistency. Stir often, so that the bhaji does not stick to the bottom. If the bhaji looks very thick, then add some water.
  6. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well. Cancel and keep the IP on warm mode. Do check the taste and add salt, butter, kashmiri red chili powder or pav bhaji masala if required.

Toasting pav

  1. For the pav, heat a tawa (griddle) or a flat skillet and melt some butter on it. Spread the melted butter on the tawa or skillet.
  2. On a low-medium heat, place halved pav on it. Let the pav soak the butter and become warm. If you want you can even lightly toast the pav.
  3. Serve the bhaji garnished with coriander leaves and topped with butter.
  4. Also accompany finely chopped onions, coriander leaves and lemon wedges. Serve the butter toasted pav with the bhaji.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.