Pav Bhaji for a good cause

Pav Bhaji known as a popular street food in Mumbai. I learnt and tasted once again after landing in US. When I lived in India, My mom absolutely denied all street foods (Like all mom, hygienic, not good, etc…) and in my place I never seen this kind of Pav Bhaji in street corner. Perhaps, I may find one nowadays, because North Indian snacks like pani puri, chaats, are spreading like wild fire everywhere like our Idli sambar! Ok, am I in mood of Pav Bhaji? Well not really, until Uma of Essence of Andra tagged me for a good cause. Usually I am not a prompt person to do all my tags (my regular readers know I guess)

BAKE BREAD – GIVE DOUGH – FEED AFRICA!

Breadline Africa is a registered charity in South Africa that is seeking to put an end to poverty in South Africa and further afield in Africa. Their aim is to break the cycle of poverty and help communities to achieve long term self-sustainability. Breadline Africa was founded in 1993 by social workers and communities in South Africa with minded colleagues in Europe, (who were well placed to source out donations). They are geared to help fund small ground level projects in Africa which are most likely to succeed with financial help. On Blog Action Day Breadline Africa launched their Worldwide Blogger Bake-Off campaign. The aim is to raise $1 million in funds for a project to convert shipping containers into locations for food production and distribution in Africa. It is hoped that these sustainable community kitchens will not only provide food such as bread and soup to those in need, but also opportunities for skills development within poor communities.

I accepted the tag gladly but not tagging anyone particularly. If you like to do for a good cause , pick up and bake one for the cause. I am an apprentice baker, the first bun I baked came out reasonably good. But from long time, I wanted to give a try for this pav, which are a square bun, buttery top and very spongy inside and not sweet like dinner roll. I looked for original recipe with No wheat flour , I am pretty sure in India they just use Maida. I got the recipe from here. It is good to watch how he rolls the buns. I made a slight modification according the review of readers who said the water quantity is too much and cut the recipe in off. The result is just amazing! For the Bhaji recipe, I followed the packet of MTR Pav bhaji masala. You have perfect delectable dinner.

Pav recipe

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Ingredients

All purpose flour: 3 1/2 cup + (for dusting the surface or if the dough is sticky)

Sugar: 1/2 tsp 

Salt:1/2 tsp

Melted Butter: 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

Warm Water: 1 1/2 cup + 3 Tbsp

Rapid yeast: 1/2 packet (1tsp+ 1/4 tsp)

Egg wash: 1 egg +1 tbsp milk (well beaten) or plain milk can be used. I used plain milk once the bun comes out of the oven i brushed with butter.

  Method: Dissolve the yeast, sugar in warm water. Let it stand for 5 minutes. Add salt and mix the wet ingredients into flour. When the flour is mixed (will be sticky the dough) add the melted butter little by little and knead well. The dough should be kneaded approximately 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. 

Grease a bowl put the dough and turn the grease surface on top and cover with plastic wrap or towel and let it double. (I kept in my microwave , the door was not fully closed so the light was "on", it doubled pretty fast about 45 minutes to hour ...

 Grease another baking tray and dust with flour. Once, the dough is risen, take out and punch down. Take a small dough and make a smooth surface using a circular motion. 

Place on greased tray and cover again with plastic wrap and let it rest another 45 minutes or 1 hour in warm place. 

Preheat the oven for 400 F , brush the top with "egg wash" or "milk". Place the tray in middle of the rack and bake 20 to 30 minutes. 

The top should turn golden brown and when you tapped with fingers you should hear hollow sound! Remove coat again with butter to get a nice shine and cool on wire rack!

Note: I did egg wash one my bun you can do milk wash but may be not the same effect of browning.

Another closer look Verdict:

I expected the bun spongy spongy but this one was spongy but not like the store bought dinner roll. May be if you have a bread machine u might get the professional result! But nothing beat the homemade bread !

Bhaji recipe

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Vegetables:

Potato: 2 medium size (peeled and cubed)

Carrot: one peeled and diced

Frozen Peas: ½ cup 

Beans: 10 strings cut

Onion: 1 medium diced 

Tomato: 1 big diced 

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp

Pav Bhaji masala : 2 tsp

Paprika or Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tsp

Hot chili powder: 1 tsp ( if u want spicy bhaji add it or u can omit)

Salt according ur taste

Butter: 2 or 4 tbsp ( yes use butter to get a better taste) 

  Method: Pressure cook all the vegetables listed above except onion and tomato with minimum water. Mash them well. Heat a pot with a tbsp of butter, add the onion and saute or few minutes, drop the tomato and fry until the butter ooze out. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry few second. Add the masala powders (pav bhaji, paprika and hot chili (if u want)) and mix well. Now drop the mashed veggie, with the help of potato masher, mash directly in the pan. When the gravy is little thick add little by little the butter. The bhaji is ready to be served after the raw masala smell goes away approximately 8 to 10 minutes in medium heat.

How to serve: Cut the pav, and toast with butter. Serve Bhaji with lemon wedge, minced onion and cilantro in the side and the toasted bun.