Ultimate Pressure Cooker Pav Bhaji Recipe | One Pot Pav Bhaji Recipe in Indian style
If you love the buttery, spicy goodness of Mumbai street-style Pav Bhaji but don’t have the time for traditional slow-mashing, this Pressure Cooker Pav Bhaji is a lifesaver. Making Pav Bhaji in a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot style) is my favorite “one-pot” hack for busy weeknights or weekend get-togethers here in Bangalore.
Most people worry that a quick Pav Bhaji recipe won’t have that deep, restaurant-style flavor. But the secret lies in how you sauté the masala before pressure cooking the vegetables and adding a small piece of Beetroot for the deep color. By cooking everything together, the cauliflower, potatoes and peas absorb the spices perfectly, making it incredibly easy to mash into a smooth, buttery gravy. Whether you’re serving it with toasted buttery pav for your kids or hosting a party, this easy Pav Bhaji recipe delivers authentic taste with 70% less effort.
Friends, do try this easy and best pressure cooker pav bhaji recipe and enjoy with your family. Even bachelors can give this as try. You can make the same in instant pot as well.
Check out my Pav bhaji recipe without pressure cooker
Recipe Card
Pav bhaji in a pressure cooker
Ingredients
For Pav bhaji masala
- 6 Pav buns
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 Big onion (finely chopped)
- 3 Tomato (-do-)
- 2 tbsp Capsicum
- 1 Carrot
- 3 Potato
- 10 Cauliflower
- 2 piece Beetroot (for bright color)
- ¼ cup Green peas
- ½ tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp Pav bhaji masala powder
- Salt & water as needed
- Coriander leaves to garnish
For Tadka
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ½ tsp Pav bhaji masala powder
- 2 tsp Kasoori methi
For Pav bun
- 1 tbsp Butter
- ½ tsp Pav bhaji masala powder
- 1 tbsp Coriander leaves
Instructions
- Wash and chop onion, tomato and vegetables finely. Set aside.
- Heat butter+cooking oil in Prestige pressure cooker.
- Splutter cumin seeds. Saute onion till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
- Add tomato and saute till mushy. Add all the spice powders , salt and mix well.
- Lastly add the chopped vegetables and mix well. Add required water and pressure cook in low flame for one whistle.
- Open the cooker after the steam is released. Take a potato masher and mash it well to make a paste like consistency.
- Add little water if its too thick. Boil for a minute and switch off the flame.
- In a tadka pan, melt butter and add pav bhaji masala powder and Kasoori methi. Switch off the flame and add to pav bhaji masala.
- Garnish with coriander leaves. Pav bhaji masala is ready.
- For pav buns, take the bun and slit it. Heat butter in a dosa tawa and add the pav bhaji masala powder, a pinch of salt and coriander leaves. Mix well.
- Dip the pav buns in this masala and cook both the sides till soft. Remove and serve it.
- Serve the pav buns with pav bhaji masala, finely chopped onions and lemon wedges. Enjoy.
Notes
- For variations, you can skip other vegetables and use potato alone.
- Use butter generously for best taste.
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HOW TO MAKE PRESSURE COOKER PAV BHAJI
Wash and chop onion, tomato, vegetables and set aside. Heat butter+cooking oil in a pressure cooker base
Splutter cumin seeds. Saute onion till transparent and add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes off. Add chopped tomato and saute till mushy.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala powder and salt. Mix well quickly and then add the vegetables.
Add required water and pressure cook in low flame for one or two whistles. Open the cooker after the steam is released and mash the cooked vegetables and masala using a potato masher.
After mashing, it looks creamy and thick. Add little more water and boil for a minute. Switch off the flame. Lets do the tadka. Heat butter in a kadai and reduce the flame to low.
Add pav bhaji masala powder and crushed Kasoori methi. Add to pav bhaji and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves and set aside.
To cook pav buns : Melt butter in a dosa tawa and add little pav bhaji masala powder and chopped coriander leaves. Slit the bun like an open book, place over it and spread well. Remove the bun and serve hot with bhaji, finely chopped onion and a lemon wedge. Enjoy !
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Absolutely! The secret is to sauté the ginger-garlic paste and Pav Bhaji masala in butter before adding the vegetables to the cooker. This “tempering” step ensures the spices infuse deeply into the veggies under pressure, giving you that authentic, slow-cooked street flavor in minutes.
My favorite natural hack is adding a small 2-inch piece of peeled beetroot into the pressure cooker along with the other vegetables. It gives the bhaji a gorgeous, deep red hue without changing the taste. Just remember to mash it well along with the potatoes! Make sure you don’t add more beetroot as its color dominates.
Yes. While cauliflower adds body to the bhaji, you can substitute it with extra potatoes. If you want a healthier version, you can also add more carrots or bottle gourd (lauki), which blends in perfectly once mashed.
For the best “one-pot” experience, mash them right inside the cooker while they are still piping hot. Once the pressure settles, use a potato masher directly in the pot. The heat helps the vegetables break down quickly into a smooth, buttery consistency.
f the bhaji looks thin after mashing, simply simmer it on a medium flame for 3–5 minutes without the lid. The excess moisture will evaporate, and the starch from the potatoes will thicken the gravy to the perfect consistency.
Yes! For an Instant Pot, follow the same steps on ‘Sauté’ mode. Once the lid is closed, cook on ‘Manual/Pressure Cook’ for 8 minutes followed by a natural pressure release.
Try this easy, one pot one shot, pressure cooker pav bhaji and enjoy !
