Pav Bhajiपाव भाजी
Video: Hebbars Kitchen (YouTube)
Pav Bhaji is Mumbai's most beloved street-corner meal — a thick, buttery vegetable mash simmered with a rich blend of spices and served alongside soft bread rolls toasted golden in butter. Every city mohalla has its own cart with a well-seasoned tawa and a loyal crowd, and the aroma of pav bhaji masala frying in butter draws people from a block away. In the diaspora, it's become a go-to for potlucks and weekend brunches, the dish that makes everyone feel like they're back on Marine Drive.
📍 Make it in Plano
This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.
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Ingredients
- ▪potatoes, boiled and peeled3 medium
- ▪cauliflower florets, steamed1 cup
- ▪green peas, fresh or frozen½ cup
- ▪capsicum (green bell pepper), finely chopped½ cup
- ▪tomatoes, finely chopped3 medium
- ▪onion, finely chopped — one for bhaji, one for serving2 large
- For the tawa
- ▪butter — and more for the pav3 tablespoons
- ▪garlic, grated1 tablespoon
- ▪ginger, grated1 teaspoon
- ▪pav bhaji masala2 tablespoons
- ▪red chili powder (Kashmiri for color)1 teaspoon
- ▪turmeric powder¼ teaspoon
- ▪saltto taste
- ▪pav rolls (soft dinner rolls)8 rolls
- ▪lemon wedges and fresh coriander to finishto taste
- Pav bhaji masala is available at Indian grocery stores and on Amazon — but if you cannot find it, use 1 tablespoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, and a pinch of dry mango powder (amchur) as a rough stand-in.
- Pav rolls are similar to soft dinner rolls or Hawaiian rolls — any soft white dinner roll works well. Toast them with plenty of butter to get that street-cart texture.
- Frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, carrots) can supplement or replace the cauliflower in a pinch — the mash absorbs the spices regardless of the exact vegetable mix.
Method
- 1Boil the potatoes until completely soft. Steam the cauliflower until very tender. Mash both coarsely and set aside.
- 2Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a flat tawa or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the grated garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 3Add the chopped onion and cook until it begins to soften and turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped capsicum and cook 2 more minutes.
- 4Add the chopped tomatoes, pav bhaji masala, red chili powder, and turmeric. Cook, pressing down with a spatula, until the tomatoes break down and oil begins to separate, about 8 minutes.
- 5Add the mashed potato-cauliflower mix and the green peas. Press everything together with a potato masher directly in the pan, incorporating the spiced tomato base into the vegetables. Add a splash of water if the mixture is too thick.
- 6Taste and adjust salt. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and let it melt into the bhaji. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.
- 7Split the pav rolls, spread butter on the cut sides, and toast on the tawa until golden. Serve the bhaji hot, topped with raw chopped onion, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh coriander, with the toasted pav alongside.
A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.