Pav bhaji began in the 1850s as a quick, cheap lunch for textile mill workers and cotton traders in Mumbai, who needed something hot and filling during long shifts. Vendors mashed leftover vegetables with tomatoes and spices on a large flat tawa and served them with bread rolls. Juhu beach and Girgaum Chowpatty stalls made it famous across the country.
The bhaji is a thick, spicy mash of potatoes, cauliflower, peas, capsicum, onion and tomato, cooked down in butter with pav bhaji masala until everything melts together. It is bright red from Kashmiri chilli and rich from the butter. The pav is split and toasted on the same tawa with butter and a pinch of masala until crisp at the edges.
It is evening food, eaten at the beach, at fairs and at family get-togethers. Serve it with raw onion, lemon wedges and another knob of butter on top. Leftover bhaji becomes a filling for toasted sandwiches. Juhu stalls also offer cheese pav bhaji and khada pav bhaji, where the vegetables are left in chunks rather than mashed, but the classic smooth version remains the favourite.
At a glance
| Region | Maharashtra |
|---|---|
| Cuisine | Maharashtrian |
| Diet | Vegetarian |
| Course | Street food |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 35 minutes |
| Total time | 55 minutes |
| Serves | 4 |
| Spice level | Medium |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Gluten-free | No |
| Key ingredients | potato / tomato / butter / pav |
Ingredients
For the bhaji
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- 1/2 cup green peas
- 1 small carrot, chopped (optional)
- 4 tbsp butter, plus more to finish
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 green capsicum, finely chopped
- 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander
For the pav
- 8 pav
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
- 1 tbsp chopped coriander
To serve
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- Lemon wedges
Method
- Pressure cook the potatoes, cauliflower, peas and carrot with 1 cup water for 3 whistles until very soft. Mash coarsely with a potato masher, keeping the cooking water.
- Heat 4 tbsp butter in a wide, heavy pan or tawa on medium. Add the onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft and pale gold. Add ginger-garlic paste and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the capsicum and cook for 3 minutes until it softens. Add the tomatoes and cook for 6-8 minutes, mashing, until they break down into a pulp.
- Stir in chilli powder, pav bhaji masala, turmeric and salt and cook for 2 minutes until the butter starts to separate and the masala smells fragrant.
- Add the mashed vegetables with their water. Mash everything together vigorously with the masher for 4-5 minutes, adding hot water to keep it at a thick, spoonable consistency.
- Simmer on low for 10 minutes, stirring and mashing occasionally, until the colour deepens and it tastes cohesive. Finish with lemon juice, coriander and a spoon of butter.
- For the pav, melt butter on a tawa with pav bhaji masala and coriander. Slit the pav, press them cut side down into the butter and toast for 1 minute, then flip and toast the outside until crisp.
Tips
- Kashmiri chilli gives the signature red colour without too much heat. A teaspoon of beetroot is the vendor trick for deeper colour.
- Keep mashing as it cooks; the smooth, homogeneous texture is what distinguishes good pav bhaji.
- Do not skimp on butter at the end; it carries the masala flavour.
Serve with
Butter-toasted pav, chopped onion, lemon wedges and a cube of butter on top.