Dishoom's pau bhaji

Thanks to 'Dishoom' for contributing the recipe and photo.

This is not necessarily a type of bhaji you have tried before. This Dishoom dish is a traditional Mumbai snack. It’ll spice up the weariest of vegetables and bring life back to stale bread. There's no need to stick to this veg list, seek inspiration from whatever's in the fridge.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

50 millilitres vegetable oil
25 grams butter
1 white onion, chopped
Mix of vegetables, diced where required (1 potato, ½ pepper, a handful of cauliflower, 1 carrot, a handful of French beans, a handful of peas) – use what you have available to a similar quantity
100 grams of chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1.5 teaspoon cumin
2 teaspoons garam masala
4 slices of bread, a bit stale is fine as it is traditional to toast it
A handful of fresh coriander leaves, 4 lime wedges and 1 chopped red onion (to garnish)

Method

  1. Parboil the mix of vegetables.
  2. While the vegetables are softening. Heat the oil in a pan; add chopped white onion and sauté till golden brown.
  3. Add all the dry spices to the pan and cook for one minute. Sprinkle a little water in the pan and sauté for a few more moments.
  4. Add the tomatoes and cook till they are soft and oil separates.
  5. Add the parboiled vegetables to the sauce mix. Cook on low heat until they become mushy.
  6. Over a medium heat, mash the mixture with a potato masher.
  7. Add half the butter and continue cooking till almost completely mashed.
  8. Add more butter, just before serving, for that fresh buttery flavour.

To serve

Toast the bread, butter and serve with the bhaji mash in a bowl, topped with chopped onions, coriander and a lime wedge.

Looking for another recipe to liven up limp veg and add some spice to your lunch, try this Potato ishtoo.

Food savvy tip

These bhajis are a great recipe to batch cook and freeze for when you are short on time. Get your Tupperware at the ready and check out these savvy batch cooking tips. 

BATCH, PLEASE! 10 TIPS TO HELP MAKE MEAL PREP EASY