Recipe: Pav Bhaji with Homemade Dinner Rolls

Pav bhaji is a very simple Indian dish. Vegetables are mashed together with a particular mixture of Indian masalas, and the resulting curry is eaten with buttered and toasted pav (pronounced “pow”), a soft, white bread. It’s very satisfying and a great way to eat your veggies; you won’t even realize it’s meatless.

The bhaji can be cooked on the stove fairly easily, but an Instant Pot cuts down the time immensely while allowing you to do other things as it cooks. The dinner rolls come together easily for a weeknight meal.

Pav Bhaji with Homemade Dinner Rolls
Adapted from a recipe by Piping Hot Curry
8 servings

Bhaji
2 Tbsp. vegetable or canola oil
2 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes (or 5 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped)
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
Half head cauliflower, coarsely chopped (or 16-oz. bag frozen cauliflower florets)
1 medium onion, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
1 cup roughly chopped fresh or frozen carrots
1 cup fresh or frozen green beans, trimmed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 heaping Tbsp. pav bhaji masala powder*
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
About 1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Freshly chopped onion, for garnish
Freshly chopped cilantro, for garnish
Dinner Rolls, for serving (recipe follows)

For the Instant Pot:
• In an Instant Pot, add the oil and press “Saute” button. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, onion, cauliflower, carrots, green beans and peas and stir. 

• Add the garlic, masala, ginger paste and salt, and cook about 5 minutes. Once the veggies are coated with masala, add the water and close the lid.

• Press “Manual,” ensuring the vent is closed, and set the Instant Pot on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the press release naturally (it will take about 10 for the pressure to release).

• Use an immersion blender, potato masher or blender to combine the mixture into a curry.

• Press "Saute" again and let the mixture boil until it reduces and concentrates, 5 to 10 minutes.

• Stir in the lemon juice and add more masala or salt to taste.

• To serve, top each bowl of pav bhaji with chopped onion and cilantro and serve with a toasted dinner roll.

Stovetop instructions:
• In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the tomatoes, potatoes, onion, cauliflower, carrots, green beans and peas until slightly softened. 

• Add the garlic, masala, ginger paste and salt, and saute about 5 minutes, until the veggies are thoroughly coated with the masala. Add the water and bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and continue simmering until the veggies are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

• Use an immersion blender, potato masher or blender to mash the mixture into a curry.

• Raise the heat to medium or medium-high heat and boil until it reduces and concentrates, 5 to 10 minutes. 

• Stir in the lemon juice and add more masala or salt, to taste.

• To serve, top each bowl of pav bhaji with chopped onion and cilantro and serve with a toasted dinner roll.

*Available at any Indian grocery store or Global Foods Market or United Provisions.

Dinner Rolls
About 20 rolls

1½ cups warm milk
1/3 cup sugar
1½ Tbsp. rapid-rise yeast
¼ tsp. kosher salt
4 cups flour, plus more as needed, divided
2 Tbsp. melted butter, plus more for serving
1 room-temperature egg

• In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the milk, sugar, yeast and salt, and stir until the yeast dissolves.

• Add 3 cups flour, the melted butter and the egg, and mix on low until combined. Add the remaining 1 cup flour and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides and becomes cohesive. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft; add more flour as needed.

• Place the dough in lightly greased bowl and cover with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise in a dark, dry spot until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• Lightly punch down the dough and pinch into about 20 2-ounce balls.

• On a quarter sheet pan, place the balls side by side, making sure they just barely touch. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let rise again in a dark, dry spot until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Bake the dinner rolls until golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

• Remove from the oven and immediately brush the tops with hot, melted butter.

• To serve, preheat the broiler. Slice a roll in half and butter each side. Toast until browned and serve with bhaji.

Amrita Song is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine.