Prajakta's Pav Bhaji

FOR THE PAV BHAJI MASALA 

1. In a medium skillet set over medium-low heat, add the coriander, cumin, fennel, bay leaf, cloves, star anise, black cardamom, roughly broken-up pieces of the dried red chillies, and dry roast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly toasted, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and transfer to a spice grinder, and grind into a coarse powder. Transfer to a small container.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients to the grinder, and grind into a fine powder and add into the container with the other spices and stir to combine. Set aside.

FOR THE PAV BHAJI 

1. In a large pot set over medium-high heat, add the cauliflower, potatoes, carrot, peas and beetroot and cover with ½ inch of water. Bring to a boil and lower to a steady simmer. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, around 45 minutes.
2. Drain into a bowl, and reserve the cooking liquid for later.
3. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and roughly mash all vegetables.
4. In the same large pot, over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the butter, the oil, and the onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
5. Lower the heat to medium low, and stir in the tomato, bell pepper, tomato puree and salt. Cook, stirring frequently until the peppers are soft, and the mixture lightly thickens, 7-10 minutes. Cover and cook until the mixture lightly dries up, about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in the pav bhaji masala, guntur chili powder, and turmeric and cook until darkens lightly, about 1 minute. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the reserved vegetable cooking liquid, and mix well until the oil separates, 2-3 minutes. 
7. Stir in the mashed vegetables,and mash further until small chunks remain (incrementally add a ¼ cup of the vegetable cooking liquid incrementally to make mashing easier)
8. Add the remaining butter, but don’t mix.  
9. Lower the heat to low, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture darkens and you have a spreadable, thick mixture, 15-20 minutes. Turn off the heat. 
10. In the meantime, butter a large skillet, and toast the pav or dinner rolls, 1-2 minutes on each side. The bread should be warm, buttery and soft, not too crispy. Add a big dollop of the vegetable mix (¼-½ cup) to the bread, top with chopped onions, a squeeze of lime, and a dollop of butter. Close the sandwich and enjoy.