Indian food is always interesting to be tasted. Have you ever try pav bhaji? It is a traditional Indian snack that consists of pav (bun or bread) and bhaji (thick vegetable curry). The taste is unique as it has a lot of spices inside it.
Do you want to know more about pav bhaji? Check this following information out! If you want to get another idea about Indian food, you may read Benefits of Kulfi – A Healthier Option of Dessert and Health Benefits of Kathi Roll – Incredibly Healthy Indian Snack for your Diet.
How to make healthy pav bhaji?
Instead of going to the restaurant or buying pav bhaji from street vendors, you can simply create your own pav bhaji that is healthier.
To make pav bhaji, you will need:
- 4 potatoes (medium size, washed, peeled and cut)
- 1/2 cup of yellow pumpkin (cut into small cube)
- 1/2 cup of cauliflower
- 1/2 cup of carrot (cut into small pieces)
- 1/2 cup of green peas
- 1/2 cup of finely chopped French beans
- 1/2 cup of brinjals (cut into small piece)
- 2 capsiums
- 2 finely chopped onions
- 3 finely chopped large tomatoes
- 15 cloves of garlic, turned into paste
- 2 tbsp of grated ginger
- 200 g of butter
- some green chilies, chopped
- pav (s)
- 2 tsp of salt
- 3 tbsp of lemon juice
How to make it?
- Put all the vegetables, except onions and capsicum into a pressure cooker with 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Put high flame. Once the pressure is formed, turn off the stove. Let the cooker cool down. After that, take all the vegetables and mash it.
- Saute the onions by using butter in a wok. Add the paste of ginger and garlic into it. Let it fried for a minute.
- Put in capsicums and fry until they are cooked. Add some chilies. Mix them well.
- Now, put the mashed vegetables into the mixture, add 1 cup of water. Stir them well and let them simmer on low flame. Turn off the stove.
- Add lemon juice and mix it well. Put some garnish like coriander leaves and pavs on it. Enjoy!
How nutritious is pav bhaji?
In one serving of pav bhaji, you can find:
- 150 calories
- 29.5 g of carbohydrates
- 2.4 g of fats
- 3.3 g of proteins
What are the healthy benefits of pav bhaji?
There are some ingredients inside pav bhaji that makes it become healthy, such as green peas, cauliflower, tomatoes and carrots.
Here are the benefits of consuming pav bhaji:
Weight loss
Green peas in pav bhaji is very good for you who want to lose some weight. It is a good source of protein and fiber that can prevent constipation. Besides, cauliflower that is low in carbohydrate is also good for losing weight. Other ingredients in pav bhaji are also low in calories.
Rich in fiber
You can see that most of the ingredients of pav bhaji are vegetables. Vegetables are rich in fibers and vitamin.
Rich in vitamins
The ingredients in pav bhaji are very rich in vitamins. Carrots are rich in vitamin A that is very beneficial for your eyes’ health. Besides, vitamin A in carrots is also helpful to keep your skin glowing and stay young. Then, cauliflower contains vitamin C that is good for your immune system.
Stay healthy
Vegetables, like potatoes that are rich in potassium are good for lowering your blood pressure. It also helps you to decrease the risk of getting kidney stones and osteoporosis.
How to make pav bhaji healthier?
Many people may think that pav bhaji is unhealthy because it is deep-fried. However, not all deep-fried food are unhealthy. You can do some variations on pav bhaji to make it healthier. The ways to make it healthier are:
Use a fiber rich almond bread instead of using pav
The flour or maida that is used to make pav bhaji is refined carb and it is not really healthy. Too much consumption of this plain flour or maida will lead to the increase of spike in your blood vessels. This condition will be bad for people who suffer from diabetes.
Moreover, you can change the bread with another bread that is made of multigrain as it will be tastier and healthier.
Change the potato
You can change the potato used in pav bhaji with another fruit, such as pumpkin. When you change it, the bhaji will be lighter. Another option to replace potato is by using bananas. It will make you full at the same time.
No processed butter, please!
Using natural butter will be healthier and yummier. Something natural is always better for your health, isn’t it? Use olive oil that is healthier.
Use a fiber rich almond bread instead of using pav
The flour or maida that is used to make pav bhaji is refined carb and it is not really healthy. Too much consumption of this plain flour or maida will lead to the increase of spike in your blood vessels. This condition will be bad for people who suffer from diabetes.
How do you feel about pav bhaji now? Do you want to try to make it at home now? Go ahead! This snack is extremely delicious, easy to make and very healthy! Don’t worry about the calories, as you can make your own version. Enjoy your snack and have a nice pav bhaji!
Read Health Benefits of Burritos and Beans – Mexican Dish Recipe for Breakfast and Health Benefits of Pani Puri – Indian Snack to Try.