potatoes, carrots, parsnip and celery root, all coarsely mashed together
Pav Bhaji Ingredients
3tbspginger garlic paste
1large head of cauliflower, in 2 inch pieces
1big green pepper, finely diced
1/2-1jalapeno, de-seeded and finely dicedoptional
½tspturmeric
8tbspbutter, divided
½tspchili powder
6tomatoes diced small
1.5tspsalt or more to taste
4tbspPav Bhaji masala or more to tastewe like 5 or more
1pintfrozen peasoptional
Serve With
Brioche Rolls
salted butter to toast the buns
Garnish
red onionfinely diced
cilantrochopped
lime wedges
butter
Instructions
Prerequisites
Discarded vegetables from Liora's Chicken Soup! Just the potatoes, carrots, parsnips and celery root (not onions).
Prep
If you do not keep ginger-garlic paste in the fridge, make a paste in a 1:1 ratio by volume). Wash and dice peppers.
Add an inch of water and cauliflower to a saucepan, and bring to boil. When boils, drop heat and simmer, covered, until cauliflower is very soft. Coarsely mash it up right into the cooking water and keep aside, warm.
If your soup veggies have been in the fridge over night, warm them up and mash them, and keep aside.
Make Pav Bhaji
Set a large pot to medium heat. When hot, melt 4 tbsp butter and when foaming subsides add the green pepper and jalapeno. Cook pepper, stirring frequently until brown.Meanwhile, chop tomatoes and keep aside.
When the pepper is soft and begins to brown (be patient: can be 15 mins or more), add ginger garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes until fragrant. Then add chili and turmeric and sauté again. Add the chopped tomatoes to the peppers and cook until the vegetables begins to meld into one another, adding a bit of water if it begins to stick to the pan.
Add al the mashed vegetables to the pot with the peppers/tomatoes and combine. Mash a bit more, as needed.
When the mixture begins to boil, lower the heat and add Pav Bhaji masala, remaining 4 tbps of butter (or more!). Simmer for 10 mins and add peas. When returns to simmer, taste and adjust salt, Pav Bhaji masala, butter and salt as needed.Meanwhile, if you plan to eat it right away, prepare the garnishes. If not, and you can let it sit for a while after that, you will be rewarded for your patience with a Pav Bhaji that will deepen in flavor.
Enjoy
Just before mealtime, prepare the toasted pav (they are best freshly toasted). Cut the rolls (if needed) as if you were making a sandwich. Heat a nonstick pan to medium, melt butter in the pan, and place the rolls cut side down onto the melted butter, fitting as many as possible. Cook turning to toast evenly to a nice golden brown.