No Onion No Garlic Pav Bhaji

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No Onion No Garlic Pav Bhaji is a Variant of the delicious Pav Bhaji, a Street Food from Mumbai. It is finger-licking yummy and a party favourite recipe and you will not even realize that it is made without onion and garlic.

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Why No Onion No Garlic?

Many simply do not eat it. Few may be allergic to it and many follow a diet that is without onion and garlic. My mother’s side of the family never eats onion and garlic and we have been making food without it. So a Pav Bhaji without onion and garlic is a must.

Does No onion No Garlic Pav Bhaji Taste Good?

Yes, for those who have eaten pav bhaji it would be like without onion and garlic, would it taste good? I bet, you will not even realize it is missing the onion and garlic. And I am saying this from my experience. Have fed this no onion no garlic version to a lot of family and friends and they were in awe when I said to them it is without onion and garlic. Have fed this to my non-vegetarian family from my husband’s side within 2 months of my marriage, and they did not realize it was missing onion and garlic. Do you need any more proof :D?

Jain Pav Bhaji

There is another famous Pav Bhaji called Jain Pav Bhaji. Now for those who do not know, Jains follow a diet in which they are restricted to certain food items. Like they do not eat anything grown below the ground. So Potato is a strict no. So a Jain Pav bhaji does not have Potato in it.

Replacement of Potato In Jain Pav Bhaji

Generally, potato is simply skipped in the Jain Pav Bhaji sold on the street. At home, however, you can make it by replacing potato with raw banana. At times even Bottle gourd/Dudhi/Lauki is added.

Cheese Pav Bhaji

Another famous variant of Pav Bhaji. Loads of cheese are being topped on the Pav Bhaji. I have never attempted this, like in some recipes, I do not like to change. Especially when it comes to changing its taste. But yes there are hardcore cheese Pav Bhaji Lovers. 

Kada/Khada Pav Bhaji

In a pav bhaji, the vegetables are mashed using a hand masher or a blender. But when the vegetables are not mashed and are finely chopped and added, we call it Kada. 

There are many more versions of Pav Bhaji. I am not going through more, but you can explore it more.

Can Street Food be healthy?  

Street food is synonymous with junk many times. But for me, this Pav Bhaji is one healthy food. Of course, if you are in control of the butter quantity. I know when cooked on the street, it is cooked on the same tava for the whole day and with loads of butter, it loses all its healthy goodness.

But when you make it at home, you are in control of everything. Cooking time, veggies, fat content etc etc. As It is loaded with vegetables, for me this is one healthy meal one can have. 

Baby or Toddler Food?

I remember once I was explaining this meal to my Irish Colleagues and they told me this is baby food. Because I told them it has mashed vegetables cooked along with spices. Yes, why not, if you skip the spices, butter and salt, it would be a healthy food for babies less than a year old. And with some butter, salt and spices (if you give it) it can be enjoyed by a toddler as well. For babies, I mean only the bhaji and for toddlers if they eat bread or pav. 

Pav Bhaji is also a very common dish for parties. It is a favourite of all from kids to elders and the ease of making it. Also the bhaji taste good the next day and I always make more to eat the next day. So it is a good

Vegetables one can add in Pav Bhaji

Generally, Capsciusm, tomato, green peas and cauliflower are used. But one can add more or less vegetables to your liking. Few add carrots to this. I like the addition of half beetroot at times. It imparts a lovely colour and texture to the bhaji.

If I have spinach I add a handful. It adds to taste and texture. At times a small part of cauliflower is replaced with Broccoli. So, in short, I love to experiment with my Pav bhaji and most of the time apart from the veggies mentioned above there would be one more vegetable added.

Few even add eggplant to the bhaji. I have not added it yet. But I have experimented with a lot of different vegetables. One of my uncles, i.e. my close chacha, does not eat pav bhaji as he believes every bhaji has eggplant in it :-). Probably I remember him every time I make Pav Bhaji and have never dared to add some. 

How is Pav Bhaji Served?

Pav Bhaji as the name is 2 things served. I.e. Pav and Bhaji. Pav is a type of eggless dinner rolls very common in Maharashtra. The pav is shallow fried/lightly roasted using butter on a hot Tawa/griddle. This is then served along with the bhaji, lemon and onion(if you eat). 

Most stall owners will even make Tava Pulao. A vegetarian pulao generally made using leftover pav bhaji or pav bhaji masala.

At times a little pav bhaji masala is sprinkled on the butter and then the pav is shallow fried/lightly roasted along with the masala and butter to make it masala pav.

I do make my Pav at home and the pic is completely homemade. I.e. the pav and the bhaji both. I make pav using all-purpose flour/maida/plain flour. Off late I have been mixing maida with whole wheat flour and getting good results. Check out the recipe here. I have even made a 100 per cent whole wheat flour pav. The texture of it is a bit rough as compared to maida/plain flour.

I have enjoyed the 100 per cent whole pav with this Chanya Tonak (Goan Dry peas Curry). Pav can be eaten as a breakfast bread with some tea or as a snack with Vada Pav or as a breakfast or meal with Misal Pav.

The recipe process I follow for my No Onion No Garlic Pav Bhaji

I boil or steam the cauliflower, potato and green peas. Capsicum is blended directly instead of steaming. I do not like the taste of steamed capsicum and this is the way I have learned from my mom. I make a puree of tomato and capsicum and saute it in butter. 

If you eat onion and garlic and want to make pav bhaji with it, add the onion and garlic paste in butter, saute it and then add the puree of tomato and capsicum. 

The boiled and mashed vegetables are added. It is then allowed to simmer along with some butter, spices, red chilly powder and pav bhaji masala. This Bhaji is served along with pav with a dash of butter.

I like to add less potato and more cauliflower in my bhaji. But feel free to add more. The quantity of ingredient is just a guide. One can add more or less as per preference.

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Updates

The recipe first appeared on Cook with Renu on 23rd November 2014. Today 20th May 2021, I have updated the pics, content and added a Recipe card.

Video would be shortly uploaded.

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