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Pav Bhaji with classic vegetables, served with fresh coriander and toasted rolls
Authentic Mumbai style Pav Bhaji topped with a generous knob of butter and coriander.

Mumbai street style pav bhaji

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
Pav Bhaji is the beating heart of Mumbai's streets. Originally created in the 1850s as a quick lunch for textile mill workers: leftover vegetables were mashed together into a single spicy puree, served with soft, buttered rolls (Pav - from the Portuguese word pão). This dish is a paradise of textures: hot, spicy, creamy vegetable ragout (Bhaji) meeting bread toasted in butter that is crisp yet soft. Sprinkled with lemon and onion, it is a true flavour bomb.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 620 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Indian (Mumbai Street Food)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large frying pan or 'Tawa' (flat griddle)
  • Potato masher for mashing
  • Sharp knife

Allergen Information

⚠️ Gluten
⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Soya

Instructions

1 ✓

Peel and dice the potatoes. Break the cauliflower into florets. Boil them together with the peas in salted water until completely tender (approx. 15 mins). Drain.

Tip: The vegetables must be cooked until falling apart to form a creamy mash.
2 ✓

Meanwhile, chop the onion, pepper and tomato very finely. Melt a large knob of butter in a frying pan and fry the onion until golden brown.

Tip: Butter gives that characteristic rich flavour that oil cannot achieve.
3 ✓

Add the pepper and tomato. Season with salt and cook until the tomato is completely pulpy and the oil starts to separate at the edges.

Tip: Cooking down until the fat separates concentrates the flavours.
4 ✓

Stir in the Pav Bhaji Masala and soy sauce. It will smell fragrant!

Tip: Spices must be fried in fat to release their aromas (lipophilic compounds).
5 ✓

Pour the cooked vegetables onto the spicy base. Mash everything in the pan with a potato masher until you get a chunky but uniform puree. If too thick, add a little water.

Tip: The mixture of starch and vegetable fibres creates the thick gravy.
6 ✓

Cut the rolls in half. In another pan, melt some butter, sprinkle with a little masala, and toast the cut side of the rolls until crisp.

Tip: The spiced butter permeates the bread, making it delicious on its own.
7 ✓

Serve the hot Bhaji with a cube of cold butter on top, sprinkled with fresh coriander and chopped red onion, alongside the toasted rolls.

Tip: The melting cold butter on the hot ragout elevates the experience visually and in taste.

Recipe FAQ

What makes it so red?
Street vendors use food colouring, but at home Kashmiri chilli powder or beetroot juice can give it a natural, vibrant colour.
I don't have Pav Bhaji masala, what should I do?
You can substitute with a mix of garam masala, coriander powder, cumin and chilli.

Ingredients

  • 2 whole Potatoes
  • 200 g Cauliflower
  • 100 g Green peas (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 whole Red pepper
  • 2 whole Tomatoes (ripe)
  • 1 whole Onion
  • 2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala spice mix
  • 1 tbsp Soy sauce (optional umami booster)
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 bunch Fresh Coriander
  • 8 whole Pav (soft milk rolls)
  • 50 g Butter (plenty)