• Boil all the vegetables except onions, tomatoes and capsicum in a 3 litre pressure cooker adding water just about covering the veggies.
• When the pressure falls on its own in the cooker then only open the lid.
• Strain the water from the vegetables and reserve the vegetable stock or broth aside.
• Mash the vegetables lightly and keep aside. Don’t make a puree.
• Alternatively, you can also mash when making the bhaji.
• In a frying pan or kadai or a large tava/griddle or skillet, add butter.
• When the butter melts, add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add the chopped onions.
• Saute the onions stirring often till they soften.
• Now add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a few seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic disappears.
• Add chopped green chilies and saute for a minute.
• Add the tomatoes and saute them stirring often till they become soft and mushy.
• Add the chopped capsicum. Now add the kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric powder and pav bhaji masala.
• Mix the spice powders well. Saute for few minutes till the capsicum becomes a little soft.
• You don’t need to make the capsicum very soft. A little crunch is alright.
• Now add the mashed vegetables.
• Combine the mashed vegetables well with the masala base.
• Add 1.5 cups of reserved vegetable stock or water. Mix well. Keep on stirring and let the bhaji gravy simmer for 7 to 8 minutes till it thickens to a medium consistency.
• If the gravy becomes too dry or thick and then add some water.
• Once you get the medium consistency, then add the grated or cubed paneer. Mix well and switch off the heat.

To Make Buttered Pavs

• Slice the pavs. On a flat pan or skillet, heat some butter.
• When the butter melts, keep the pav on the melted butter so that it absorbs the butter and fry for a minute. Toast the second side and also pan fry for a minute.
• If you want to make the pav crisp, fry for a few more minutes both the sides. Serve the pavs hot with the bhaji.

Serving The Bhaji

• When done, pour the hot bhaji in bowls or plates. Garnish with coriander leaves and grated paneer.
• You can top the bhaji with some butter, if you like it. In fact, with more butter, the bhaji tastes very good.
• Serve the paneer pav bhaji hot with the buttered pavs together with a side of finely chopped onions and chopped lime or lemon.