Mumbai Pav Bhaji
Mumbai Pav Bhaji

Delicious Indian street food with a fluffy, buttered and toasted bread roll served with a thick curried vegetable mash. Garnished with cilantro, red onions, lemon juice and butter!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 495kcal
Ingredients
MASHED VEGETABLES
- 3 peeled potatoes , medium
- 1.5 cups cauliflower florets
- ¼ tsp turmeric, for colouring
BHAJI BASE
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 red onion, chopped, medium size
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped (substitute with jalapeno for a spicier version)
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 2 tsp minced garlic, substitute with 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1 can pureed tomatoes (14.5 oz), if using diced, puree first
- 2 tbsp Garam Masala Powder, check recipe notes for three options!
- 1 cup peas, frozen (can use fresh also)
- 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste!
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped, for garnish
SERVING
- 12 dinner rolls, pav
- ½ onion, sliced thinly
- 1 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 lemon, sliced into wedges
- 4 tbsp butter, salted (for toasting the rolls and for garnish)
Instructions
PREP POTATOES AND CAULIFLOWER
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Bring a deep pot of water to boil - add peeled potatoes, cauliflower florets and a pinch of turmeric. Boil for 20 mins until fork can smoothly be inserted into potatoes
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Drain, mash and set aside
PREPARE THE BASE
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Heat vegetable oil (or ghee) in a deep pan
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Add chopped red onions and green peppers and saute for about 3 minutes until golden brown
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Add ginger paste and minced garlic to this and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant
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Add pureed tomatoes and deglaze the pan (i.e. press with back of wooden spoon to bring together flavors) - saute on high heat for 3 minutes
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Add the mashed cauliflower and potatoes along with the peas and 2 tablespoons of Garam Masala, and 1-1.5 cups of water - mix well together
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Mash again using back of spoon or a masher so it's fluid but not watery
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Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until all the components come together
PREPARE TO SERVE
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Toast the buns in a toaster or on a pan using salted butter
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Serve the toasted buns with bhaji as well as some sliced red onions, cilantro, 1-2 lemon wedges and a dollop of butter on the bhaji
Notes
- This dish is super versatile. I use six vegetables but you can make this with as little as just potatoes and onions, or you can throw in other vegetables like carrots, beets, and eggplants too! You can also use frozen mixed vegetables.
- If you have an Instant Pot, check the post for instructions on making this recipe!
- If you're doubling the recipe, the cook times are the same - but please be careful about doubling the masala. Slowly add and increase to taste.
- This recipe is spicy, but not overly so - especially when you eat it with bread. If you want to make it spicier, soak some Kashmiri red chili peppers and grind it with the ginger-garlic paste. To make it less spicy, reduce the amount of red chilli powder into the pav bhaji masala
Nutrition
Serving: 150g | Calories: 495kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 1014mg | Potassium: 988mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 642IU | Vitamin C: 77mg | Calcium: 217mg | Iron: 5mg