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Finished Instant Pot pav bhaji garnished with butter and coriander

Instant Pot Pav Bhaji with Moong & Masoor Dal

A one-pot take on classic Mumbai pav bhaji, with moong and masoor dal stirred in for extra protein and fiber. Buttery, spiced, and ready in under an hour, thanks to the Instant Pot.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: high protein pav bhaji, instant pot pav bhaji, instant pot recipe, pav bhaji recipe, pav bhaji with dal, vegetarian pav bhaji
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Other time (pressure build up and release time): 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Instant pot
  • 1 Spoon
  • 1 Chopping board
  • 1 Knief
  • 1 Bowl
  • Measuring cups & spoons

Ingredients

For the Tadka

  • 1 tbsp Groundnut oil
  • 1/2 tbsp Salted butter
  • 15 g Garlic minced or ground (about 3 large cloves)
  • 5 g Ginger minced or ground
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
  • 2 cups Onion finely chopped (about 250g)

For the Base

  • 1 3/4 cups Tomato pureed (about 400g)
  • 2 tsp Coriander powder
  • 1 tsp Cumin powder
  • 4 tsp Pav bhaji masala
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric
  • 3 tsp Salt

Vegetables, Dal & Water

  • 500 g Potato 3 medium, diced
  • 1 cup Cauliflower heaped, cut into florets
  • 1/2 cup Beet diced (about 80g)
  • 1 cup Peas
  • 1/4 cup Moong dal rinsed 2-3 times
  • 1/4 cup Masoor dal rinsed 2-3 times
  • 1 1/2 cups Water

To Finish & Serve

  • 1/2 cup Green bell pepper heaped, finely chopped
  • Pav dinner rolls, to serve
  • Lime wedges to serve
  • Chopped coriander to serve
  • Chopped red onion to serve
  • Butter to serve

Instructions

  • Turn the Instant Pot to Sauté mode on high.
  • Add the oil and butter. Once hot, add the minced ginger and garlic, followed by the Kashmiri red chili powder. Add the onion and sauté for 2–3 minutes, stirring so nothing burns.
    1 tbsp Groundnut oil, 1/2 tbsp Salted butter, 15 g Garlic, 5 g Ginger, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 2 cups Onion
  • Add the tomato puree along with the coriander powder, cumin powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric, and salt. Sauté for 1 minute.
    1 3/4 cups Tomato, 2 tsp Coriander powder, 1 tsp Cumin powder, 4 tsp Pav bhaji masala, 1/2 tsp Turmeric, 3 tsp Salt
  • Add the potato, cauliflower, beet, peas, and the rinsed moong dal and masoor dal, along with the water. Give everything a good mix.
    500 g Potato, 1 cup Cauliflower, 1/2 cup Beet, 1 cup Peas, 1/4 cup Moong dal, 1/4 cup Masoor dal, 1 1/2 cups Water
  • Turn off Sauté mode, secure the lid, and pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Once done, release the pressure manually after 5 minutes.
  • Mash everything with a potato masher — a hand immersion blender works too if you'd like it smoother.
  • Stir in the finely chopped green bell pepper and mix well. Adding it at this stage gives the bhaji a nice fresh flavor, and the residual heat is enough to cook it through — no need to turn the stove back on.
    1/2 cup Green bell pepper
  • Serve hot with a squeeze of lime, chopped coriander, chopped red onion, and pav, finished with a cube of butter on top.
    Pav, Lime wedges, Chopped coriander, Chopped red onion, Butter

Video

Notes

  • Kashmiri red chili powder adds color without a lot of heat — swap in regular chili powder only if you like it spicier, and use less.
  • Swap the butter for oil to make this fully vegan.
  • Nutrition is an estimate based on standard ingredient databases and includes the full 3 tsp of added salt — reduce to taste if needed.