Schezwan Pav Bhaji Recipe

Schezwan Pav Bhaji is a fusion Indo-Chinese version of the quintessential Mumbai street food Pav Bhaji, a flavor packed spicy mashed potato gravy, chockfull of vegetables and infused with Schezwan chutney and a special masala powder called “Pav Bhaji Masala” powder. Served with some fluffy butter glazed and roasted pav bun, it is a street food to die for!

Every Indian drools at the mention of Pav Bhaji! You can find it at most Indian restaurants or street corners in vending carts, especially in Mumbai and Delhi. It is best enjoyed topped with lots of finely chopped red onions, sprinkling of lots of cilantro, a large dab of butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

My whole family loves this mouthwatering dish and we have it for breakfast or sometimes at dinner too! Today, I will be sharing a fusion version of it. Everyone loves Indo-Chinese fusion food like Gobi Manchurian, Schezwan Hakka noodles etc. so I decided to give the traditional pav bhaji a slight Chinese twist by stirring in some hot Schezwan Chutney (store bought and bottled Ching’s Secret brand).

Addition of button mushrooms, shredded cabbage, carrots and bell pepper enhanced the Indo-Chinese flavors. Rest of the recipe is the same. Just stir in some tablespoons of hot and spicy schezwan chutney or sauce (store bought or homemade) along with the regular Pav Bhaji Masala powder to give it a spicy mouthwatering touch!

Once it was cooked and ready, the aroma wafting through the house from the bubbling red colored Schezwan flavored pav bhaji drew my whole family to the kitchen! One bite of the pav dunked into this puddle of tasty goodness was enough to make this my favorite kind of pav bhaji!

Do try my version of lip-smacking Schezwan Pav Bhaji and wow your family and friends! If you are serving them to your kids, try and reduce the green chillies or omit the red chilli powder added as schezwan chutney and Pav Bhaji powders have spicy heat in them to begin with.

For a vegan version, omit the butter and serve.

 Step-by-step method to make Schezwan Pav Bhaji:

Boil, peel and crumble potatoes; keep aside.

Blend onions, tomatoes, green chillies and garlic to fine puree.

Heat oil in a large deep saucepan or kadai and once hot, add chopped green onions.

Sauté on medium heat for about a minute and then stir in the chopped vegetables (cabbage, carrots, green bell pepper and mushrooms). Fry for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the onion-tomato puree, mix well and sauté for 1 minute.

Add Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder, pav bhaji masala powder and schezwan chutney to this mixture and stir well. Fry, stirring often until the oil separates.

Tip in the mashed potatoes, salt and sugar to taste and mix well.

Add enough water (about 1 to 1 ½ cups) and give it a good stir. Using a potato masher, mash the mixture well. I like it with some texture, so I have not mashed it too fine. Keep mashing until you get the texture you want.

Bring the mixture to a boil (add more water if needed) and then lower the heat and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes.

Once all the flavors have blended well and you have got the consistency you want (adjusting the amount of water if needed), stir in 1 large tbsp of butter and mix through. Garnish with chopped green onions and remove from heat.

Serve spicy, schezwan pav bhaji piping hot with some toasted pav or bread slices and more butter along with some finely chopped onions and lemon wedges. Pav Bhaji tastes best with some melting oozing butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

Enjoy!!

Sharing this with:  #RecipeoftheWeek  |  #FiestaFriday along with co hosts Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Petra @ Food Eat Love

For similar snacks or street food, check out:

Easy Pizza Pav

Spicy Gobi Kurkuri

Salem Thattu Vadai Set

Masala Pav

If you like my posts and recipes, do not forget to Pin, Share, comment in the box below or like my Facebook page