Bao Bhaji

💛 Ingredients 💛

For Bao Buns:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 teaspoon dry yeast

• 100 ml milk

• 100 ml boiling water

• 2 tablespoons oil

For Bhaji:

Combine the following in a pressure cooker and whilst for 4-5 times:

• 4 large potatoes, peeled & halved

• 1 small piece beetroot, peeled

• 1/2 cup eggplant, peeled & halved

• 1 small carrot, peeled & cut into small pieces

• 1/2 cup peas

• 1/2 cup cauliflower florets (boiled separately)

• 1 teaspoon pav bhaji masala

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 2 cups water

For Gravy:

• 5 medium tomatoes, chopped

• 1 large capsicum, chopped

• 2 tablespoons oil

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon red chili powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin-coriander powder

• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

• 1 teaspoon garam masala

• 2 teaspoons pav bhaji masala

• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi

• Salt to taste

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 cup coriander, chopped

• Asafoetida water (1 teaspoon asafoetida + 1/4 cup water)

• 3-4 cups of hot water

For Red chili paste:

• 7-8 dry red chilies (soak in hot water for 30 minutes, remove seed and crush well into a smooth paste)

💚 Instructions 💚

For Bao Buns:

• In a bowl, combine milk, boiling water, and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and then add yeast. Let the yeast bloom for 5 minutes.

• Now sieve all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into it.

• Further add oil and combine all. Knead the dough for 7-8 minutes.

• Now form a dough ball and cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 2 hours in a bowl.

• After rising, roll out the dough.

• Now use a cookie cutter to cut out small rounds from the dough.

• Brush some oil over the surface, fold them into halves and place them onto a sheet of baking paper on a large tray.

• Cover them with a thin towel, and place them in a warm place for about 30 minutes for the buns to rise again.

Steaming Bao:

• Prepare the steamer on the stove.

• Steam the buns for 15 minutes, or until they are puffy, soft, and cooked well.

• Remove it to a plate and your bao buns are ready.

For Making Bhaji:

• In a wide flat pan, heat half of the oil and butter followed by cumin.

• Further add in chopped capsicum and sauté until light brown.

• Add in chopped tomatoes along with all the boiled vegetables.

• Now add in red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, pavbhaji masala, salt, 3 tablespoons of asafetida water, and half of the red chili paste. Mix until well combined then mash all the veggies with the help of potato masher.

• Now add hot water in 3 small batches and keep mashing the bhaji until you get the texture you want. (Don’t mash it completely like a paste)

• Add half of the coriander and mix until well combined.

• Now in a small pan, heat the remaining oil and butter, then add in a pinch of cumin, pavbhaji masala, garam masala, kasuri methi, and the remaining red chili paste. Stir and cook for 1 minute and then add it to the bhaji.

• Now add lemon juice, the remaining coriander and let it cook for 2 minutes. And your bhaji is ready.

Making Bao Bhaji:

• Take a bao bun and open it slightly.

• Fill around 2 teaspoons of bhaji in it.

• Garnish with some chopped coriander, capsicum, and tomato.

• Serve these amazing fusion cuties while it's warm.