Gotala pav bhaji is a very famous street food in Surat, Gujarat. It is an extended version of the extremely popular pav bhaji recipe. This version is made with the same set of vegetables and spices as the traditional one but is topped with grated paneer and cheese, which gives a creamy texture to the bhaji. It is spicy, flavorful, and tastes great when topped with butter and served with ladi pav. Do try this!
The key to making street-style Gotala pav bhaji at home are:
- Firstly, in pav bhaji, the proportion of potatoes is 50%, while the other 50% consists of various vegetables. Potatoes contribute creaminess, while the other vegetables add crunchiness. You can also enhance the recipe by incorporating additional vegetables like carrots and beans.
- Secondly, I always recommend using fresh and moist grated paneer as a topping for this recipe. Grated cheese also adds creaminess to the bhaji’s texture. Do not overdo it by adding too much paneer and cheese, as it may end up making it more creamy and less spicy.
- Add slightly hot water to adjust the thickness of the pav bhaji gravy. Do not add extra water while seasoning the bhaji on the tawa, as the initial water should be sufficient. If you feel the bhaji is too thick, you may add water in batches until it reaches the right consistency.
- Lastly, Gotala pav bhaji tastes great when it is prepared with a generous amount of butter and served hot with spiced ladi pav.
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Recipe video
Gotala pavbhaji recipe | Gotala bhaji | street style pavbhaji
Ingredients
For pressure cook vegetables
- 2 medium size and 170 grm potato pieces
- ½ cup green peas
- ½ cup cauliflower
- 2 green chilli
- 1 cup water
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
For green paste
- 7-8 garlic cloves
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 green chilli
- ¼ cup coriander leaves
For Gotala pavbhaji
- 4 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¾ cup or 2 medium size chopped onion
- Green paste
- 1.5 cup or 4 medium size chopped tomatoes
- Salt to taste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp pavbhaji masala
- 1 cup hot water or as required
- 100 grm grated panner
- 2 cheese cubes
- Pinch of garam masala
- Coriander leaves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
For roasting pav
- ½ tsp butter
- ¼ tsp pavbhaji masala
- Some coriander leaves
- Ladi pav
Instructions
Pressure Cook Vegetables
- In a cooker, add 2 medium-sized potatoes (roughly chopped), ½ cup green peas, ½ cup cauliflower, 2 green chilies, 1 cup water, ½ tsp turmeric powder, and salt to taste. Mix well.
- Cover and pressure cook the vegetables on high flame for 3 whistles.
- When the pressure cooker releases its pressure naturally, open the lid and crush the boiled vegetables with a masher. Keep it aside.
Making Gotala Pav Bhaji
- In a mixture jar, add 7-8 garlic cloves, 1 inch ginger, 1 green chili, and ¼ cup coriander leaves. Grind it into a coarse paste without adding water. Keep it aside.
- Now in a pan, add 4 tbsp oil and 1 tsp cumin seeds. Sauté it.
- Add ¾ cup chopped onions and sauté them.
- Then add the coarsely crushed garlic paste and sauté it.
- Now add 1.5 cups chopped tomatoes and salt. Cover and cook the tomatoes until they become soft.
- Slightly crush the tomatoes and onions with a masher.
- Then add ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, and some water. Sauté the masala until oil releases from its sides.
- Now add 1 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala. Sauté it.
- Then add 1 cup hot water and mix well. Cover the pan and cook the masala for 5 minutes until oil releases on the surface of the masala paste.
- Now add the boiled and crushed vegetables and mix well. Cover and cook the bhaji for 5 minutes.
- Then add 100 grams grated paneer, 2 grated cheese cubes, a pinch of garam masala, and some coriander leaves. Mix well and cook the bhaji for 2-3 minutes.
- Lastly, add 1 tbsp lemon juice and mix well. Switch off the gas.
- Serve Gotala pav bhaji with butter-roasted ladi pav.
Notes
- Do not add more water while pressure-cooking vegetables.
- Mash the boiled vegetables slightly for the perfect texture of pav bhaji. Do not over-mash them.
- The proportion of tomatoes should be double that of onions.
- Sautéing the masala with butter enhances its flavor.
- Add slightly hot water to the gravy to retain the color and flavor of the masala.
- Grate paneer and cheese using a large-hole grater.
- Gotala pavbhaji taste great when it is prepared spicy and serve hot.
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