Spoon Simple
Pav Bhaji
Mumbai's iconic street food — a spiced vegetable mash cooked on a flat griddle and served with buttered, toasted bread rolls. Messy, buttery, and absolutely irresistible.
Prep 20 min
Cook 30 min
Total 50 min
Serves 4
Ingredients
Step 1 — Bhaji (vegetable mash)
- 3 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)
- 1 cup cauliflower florets (boiled)
- ½ cup green peas
- 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup water
- Fresh cilantro
- Lemon wedges
Step 2 — Toast the pav
- 8 pav buns (soft dinner rolls)
- 4 tbsp butter
- Pav bhaji masala (for sprinkling)
Step 3 — Garnish
- Finely chopped onion
- Lemon wedges
- Extra butter
Instructions
- 1
Cook the bhaji
Melt butter in a flat pan or tava. Sauté onion until soft, add ginger-garlic paste. Add tomatoes and bell pepper, cook until mushy. Add mashed potatoes, cauliflower, peas, pav bhaji masala, chili powder, salt, and water. Mash everything together on the griddle, cooking 10–15 minutes until thick and glossy. Finish with cilantro and butter.
- 2
Toast pav
Slit pav buns without cutting through. Butter generously and toast on the same griddle until crisp and golden. Sprinkle with pav bhaji masala.
- 3
Serve
Plate bhaji with a pat of butter, chopped onion, and lemon. Serve with toasted pav for dipping and scooping.
Nutrition per serving: 420 cal · 10g protein · 52g carbs · 20g fat · 6g fiber
For informational purposes only. Not medical or dietary advice. Verify ingredients for allergens, cooking times, and safe internal temperatures before serving.
