Instant Pot Mumbai Paav Bhaji
4-6
servings
Main
Course
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Ingredients
4 tbsp
salted butter, plus 4 TBSP, at room temperature
1 lg
yellow onion, finely diced
½
green bell pepper, seeded and diced
½
red bell pepper, seeded and diced (optional)
5 c
cauliflower florets (1-inch florets)
2 lg
Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
3
plum tomatoes, cored and diced
½ c
frozen green peas
Kosher salt
1 c
water
3 tbsp
tomato paste
1 tbsp
paav bhaji masala
1 tbsp
Kashmiri red chile powder or another mild red chile powder*
For a spicier bhaji, add more paav bhaji masala or red chile powder.
*Show Note
¼ tsp
ground turmeric
½ c
chopped fresh cilantro
12
potato buns
1
red onion, finely diced
1
lime, cut into wedges
Archana Mundhe crafted over 75 brilliant recipes in The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook.
The perfect Indian street food! As teenagers, my friends and I would gather around a small street stall to eat freshly made paav bhaji. Buttery bread is topped with spiced veggie mash, onions, and cilantro and finished with a squeeze of lime juice.
Directions
- Select the high Sauté setting on the Instant Pot and heat 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the yellow onion and bell peppers and sauté until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, peas, and 2 teaspoons salt; pour in the water; and stir well with a wooden spoon, nudging loose any browned bits from the pot bottom.
- Secure the lid and set the Pressure Release to Sealing. Press the Cancel button to reset the cooking program, then select the Pressure Cook or Manual setting and set the cooking time for 6 minutes at high pressure.
- Perform a quick release by moving the Pressure Release to Venting. Open the pot. Select the normal Sauté setting and mash all the veggies with a potato masher. Stir in the tomato paste, paav bhaji masala, red chile powder, and turmeric, followed by 2 tablespoons butter (optional but highly recommended). Cover the pot with a glass lid (or other nonlocking lid that fits), as the bhaji will start to splatter, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, paav bhaji masala, and chile powder if needed. Press the Cancel button to turn off the Instant Pot. Sprinkle with the cilantro.
- Just before serving, use the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to spread 1 teaspoon room-temperature butter on the cut side and over the top and bottom of each potato bun. Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over high heat. Add the buns and toast each side until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes each.
- Spoon the bhaji into buns, top with the red onion, and serve with the lime wedges on the side.
Reprinted with permission from The Essential Indian Instant Pot by Archana Mundhe, copyright © 2018. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Photography credit Colin Price © 2018
