Pao Bhaji | Mumbai Street Food
Pav Bhaji is a beloved Mumbai street food featuring a spicy, buttery mash of mixed vegetables (bhaji) served with soft, toasted bread rolls (pav). Bursting with flavors from special pav bhaji masala, this dish is rich, comforting, and perfect for any time of day. Originally a quick meal for textile workers, it has become a popular treat across India, known for its bold taste and street-style charm.
Ingredients
For Bhaji (pressure cook)
- Cauliflower, florets (फूलगोभी) – 1½ cups
- Carrot, sliced (गाजर) – ½ cup
- Beetroot, diced (चकुंदर) – ¼ cup
- Capsicum, roughly cut (शिमला मिर्च) – ½ cup
- Ginger, sliced (अदरक) – 4-5 nos
- Garlic cloves (लहसुन) – 4 nos
- Green chilli (हरी मिर्च) – 1 no
- Potato, diced (आलू) – 2½ cups/ 250 gms
- Oil (तेल) – 1 tbsp
- Butter (मक्खन) – 3 tbsp
- Salt (नमक) – to taste
- Pav bhaji masala (पाव भाजी मसाला) – 1 tbsp
- Green peas (हरी मटर) – ½ cup
- Water (पानी) – 3 cups
For Bhaji Masala
- Butter (मक्खन) – 3 tbsp
- Oil (तेल) – 1 tbsp
- Onion, chopped (प्याज) – 1 cup
- Ginger Garlic paste (अदरक लहसुन पेस्ट) – ½ tbsp
- Turmeric (हल्दी) – ½ tsp
- Kashmiri chilli powder (कश्मीरी लाल मिर्च) – 1 tbsp
- Green chilli, chopped (हरी मिर्च) – 1 no
- Pav bhaji masala (पाव भाजी मसाला) – 2 tbsp
- Salt (नमक) – to taste
- Tomato, chopped (टमाटर) – 1½ cups
- Tomato puree (टमाटर प्यूरी) – ¼ cup
- Capsicum, chopped (शिमला मिर्च) – 2 tbsp
- Salt (नमक) – to taste
- Kasoori Methi (कसूरी मेथी) – ½ tsp
- Coriander chopped (धनिया पत्ता) – handful
- Water (पानी) – as required
- Salt (नमक) – to taste
- Coriander chopped (धनिया पत्ता) – handful
- Chaat Masala (चाट मसाला) – 1 tsp
- Butter (मक्खन) – 1 tbsp
- Green chilli, chopped (हरी मिर्च) – ½ no
For Masala Pav
- Butter (मक्खन) – 1 tbsp
- Pav bhaji masala (पाव भाजी मसाला) – ½ tsp
- Coriander chopped (धनिया पत्ता) – handful
- Bhaji (भाजी) – 3-4 tbsp
- Pav (पाव) – 6 nos
For Garnish
- Onion, chopped (प्याज) – handful
- Lemon wedge (नींबू) – few
- Fried green chilli (तली हरी मिर्च) – few
In case you want to make pao bhaji masala at home here is the recipe
Pav Bhaji Masala
- Bay leaf, तेजपत्ता – 5-6 nos
- Dry red chilli, सूखी लाल मिर्च – 25 gm (18-20nos)
- Coriander seeds, धनिया के बीज – 35 gms
- Cumin seeds, जीरा – 15 gms
- Mustard seeds, सरसों – 5 gms
- Nutmeg, जायफल – 1 no
- Mace, जावित्री – 2 gms
- Cinnamon stick, दालचीनी – 8 gms
- Black cardamom seeds, बड़ी इलायची – 8 gms
- Cloves, लॉन्ग – 15 nos
- Black peppercorn, काली मिर्च के दाने – 8 gms
- Star anise, चक्र फूल – 2 nos
- Fennel seeds, सौंफ – 15 gms
- Turmeric powder, हल्दी पाउडर – 5 gm
- Green cardamom, हरी इलायची – 5 nos
- Dry ginger powder, सोंठ पाउडर – 8 gms
- Dry mango powder, अमचूर पाउडर – 15 gms
- Asafoetida, हींग – 1 tsp
- Kasoori Methi whole, dried, कसूरी मेथी – 3 tbsp
Instructions
- First of all, roughly cut cauliflower, carrot, beetroot, capsicum, ginger, garlic, green chillies, and potatoes.Now, in a pressure cooker, add oil and butter, then add all the roughly cut vegetables. Add some salt and pav bhaji masala, then add green peas. Stir it well and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes on high flame. Add water and close the pressure cooker with lid. Now, wait till 3 whistles or cook it till the vegetables get totally meshy. Dry up the remaining water in the pressure cooker. When the water dries up, mash the vegetables. For the masala, in a pan add butter and little oil, then add chopped onion and roast it till it turns pink.
- Add ginger garlic paste, then add turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder, green chillies chopped, pav bhaji masala and salt, then give it a stir. Now add chopped tomato and tomato puree. Cook the tomatoes well. Now add some chopped capsicum. Now add the mashed vegetables into the masala. Add some salt to taste, chopped coriander leaves and kasoori methi. Now, add some water to the bhaji, then some chopped coriander, butter and adjust the salt accordingly.
- For masala pav, add some butter on a flat gridle, then pav bhaji masala and some bhaji. Give it a little mix and then cut the pav into two halves horizontally and place it on the masala. Add some melted butter on top of the pav and flip it. Serve the Pav along with hot Bhaji and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!