In a pressure cooker, add roughly chopped carrots, potatoes, French beans and cauliflower. Add enough water to cover the vegetables and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Let the pressure drop, open the lid of the pressure cooker and mash the vegetables. Set aside.
In a pan, heat butter or oil. Add cumin seeds. As they splutter, add finely chopped onions and fry until translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 mins until the raw smell is gone.
Add finely chopped tomatoes and mix well. Add turmeric power and cook until tomatoes are mushy. Add finely chopped capsicum and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add fresh green peas and stir fry for a minute. Add salt, turmeric power, Kashmiri red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala powder. Cook for 4-5 mins until the fat is released from the sides of the masala.
Add mashed vegetables. If required, add some water . Let the mixture slow cook and boil on low flame for 10-12 mins. Keep it closed as the mixture can splutter. When the bhaji is thick and well cooked, remove from flame and add finely chopped coriander.
Serve hot with butter on top, along with pav buns or wheat bread and finely chopped onion, coriander leaves and lemon wedges on the side.
There is no hard and fast rule on the choice of vegetables. All or some of the above vegetables can be used, depending on the availability.
I always add additional chilli powder, if you prefer less spicy version – skip it. For spicier version, green chillies can be added too.
Capsicum takes very little time to cook. Hence add it only after tomatoes are half cooked. Green peas take even lesser time, hence I add them towards the end. Don’t mash the vegetables to a paste. They should be mashed up but not to a paste.
I used half-half butter and oil. Alternatively only butter or oil can be used.
Stays well in the fridge for over 2 days. Goes well with rotis as well.