Salteña with hard-boiled egg, meaty filling, served with fresh cilantro Bolivian Beef Salteñas (Juicy Empanadas) Spicy Pav Bhaji mashed vegetable curry served with buttered buns Mumbai Street-Style Pav Bhaji with Extra Butter Pannkakor Swedish pancakes served Classic Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry Jam Flaky cheese biscuits on a plate Flaky Cheese Biscuits Blackberry cider serving Blackberry & Honey Spiced Cider Kkakdugi - cubed radish kimchi in a bowl Kkakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi) Roasted Banana Sundae decorated with chocolate syrup and caramel Roasted Banana Sundae Cumin-spiced Lahmacun with fresh dough and seasoned meat Cumin-Spiced Lahmacun BBQ grilled potato wedges with red onion on a tray Grilled BBQ Potato Wedges with Red Onion BBQ ribs served with spicy potato wedges Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs with Spicy Potato Wedges Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi) Salteña with hard-boiled egg, meaty filling, served with fresh cilantro Bolivian Beef Salteñas (Juicy Empanadas) Spicy Pav Bhaji mashed vegetable curry served with buttered buns Mumbai Street-Style Pav Bhaji with Extra Butter Pannkakor Swedish pancakes served Classic Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry Jam Flaky cheese biscuits on a plate Flaky Cheese Biscuits Blackberry cider serving Blackberry & Honey Spiced Cider Kkakdugi - cubed radish kimchi in a bowl Kkakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi) Roasted Banana Sundae decorated with chocolate syrup and caramel Roasted Banana Sundae Cumin-spiced Lahmacun with fresh dough and seasoned meat Cumin-Spiced Lahmacun BBQ grilled potato wedges with red onion on a tray Grilled BBQ Potato Wedges with Red Onion BBQ ribs served with spicy potato wedges Oven-Baked BBQ Ribs with Spicy Potato Wedges Mandarin cider served in a glass Holiday Mandarin Mulled Cider BBQ sauce Diavola pizza served Spicy BBQ Diavola Pizza Warm Bagna Cauda dip served in a fondue pot with fresh vegetables Classic Bagna Cauda with Winter Crudités Blueberry pretzel plated Soft Blueberry Pretzels with Cinnamon Sugar Savory meat and vegetable biscuits served Savory Meat and Vegetable Stuffed Biscuits Alboronía with pumpkin, eggplant and fresh cilantro served Spanish Pumpkin and Eggplant Stew (Alboronía) Slice of Fainá chickpea flatbread with tomato sauce Chickpea Flatbread with Tomato Sauce (Fainá) Elote with Sour Cream - fresh corn served with sour cream, cheese, and spicy paprika Classic Sour Cream Elote Zucchini fritters with tahini sauce Zucchini Fritters with Lemony Tahini Dip Chestnut Zongzi served on a plate Sweet Chestnut Sticky Rice Dumplings (Zongzi)
Spicy Pav Bhaji mashed vegetable curry served with buttered buns
Buttery Pav Bhaji with cilantro and lime

Mumbai Street-Style Pav Bhaji with Extra Butter

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Vegetarian & Vegan Dishes Main Courses
Pav Bhaji hails from the pulsing heart of Mumbai, created for textile mill workers who needed a quick, cheap, and filling meal. The solution? A spicy vegetable mash (Bhaji) cooked on a massive griddle (tawa), served with soft, butter-soaked buns (Pav). The extra butter isn't just for show—it provided necessary calories for hard labor and unifies the spices into a silky whole.
🕒 Prep Time 20 mins
🍳 Cook Time 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 50 mins
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 580 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Indian (Mumbai Street Food)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Potato masher (essential)
  • Large skillet or Wok
  • Chef's knife

Allergen Information

⚠️ Milk
⚠️ Wheat

Instructions

1 ✓

Boil the potatoes and peas in salted water until very soft. Drain and roughly mash them.

Tip: The potatoes must be cooked until falling apart, as their starch will thicken the sauce.
2 ✓

Heat a large knob of butter in a skillet. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, then add ginger-garlic paste and bell pepper. Cook until pepper is soft.

Tip: Cook the peppers until they almost dissolve to ensure a smooth final texture.
3 ✓

Stir in tomatoes and salt. Cook until tomatoes completely break down and release oil.

Tip: Salt helps break down the tomato cell walls quickly.
4 ✓

Add Pav Bhaji Masala and chili powder. Toast the spices in the fat for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Tip: Toasting spices in fat awakens their fat-soluble flavor compounds.
5 ✓

Add the mashed potato-pea mixture and a splash of water. Use the potato masher to mash everything together directly in the pan while cooking.

Tip: Keep adding water to maintain a thick, gravy-like consistency.
6 ✓

Once creamy, stir in another generous knob of butter and fresh cilantro.

Tip: Finishing with cold butter creates a glossy, silky emulsion.
7 ✓

Slice buns in half. In a separate pan, melt butter, sprinkle with a pinch of masala, and toast the buns cut-side down.

Tip: Toasting gives a caramelized flavor and prevents the bun from getting soggy immediately.
8 ✓

Serve the hot Bhaji with the buttered buns, chopped raw onions, and a lemon wedge.

Tip: Lemon juice cuts through the richness of the butter perfectly.

Recipe FAQ

Why do I need to mash the vegetables?
Mashing melds the flavors completely and allows the soft bun to soak up the sauce easily.
What kind of bread should I use?
The softest, slightly sweet hamburger buns or 'dinner rolls' are best. Crusty artisan bread doesn't work here.

Ingredients

  • 8 whole Soft Burger Buns or Dinner Rolls (Pav)
  • 3 medium Russet Potatoes (peeled)
  • 1 cup Green Peas (frozen or fresh)
  • 1 large Bell Pepper (finely diced)
  • 3 medium Tomatoes (finely diced)
  • 1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
  • 2 tbsp Pav Bhaji Masala Spice Blend
  • 1 tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder (or Paprika)
  • 7 tbsp Butter (divided)
  • 1 bunch Fresh Cilantro
  • 1 whole Lemon