How to make Pav Bhaji at home.

Step by step

You are cooking the vegetables soft and then mashing them on the pan, so a wide skillet works best.

1. 1

   Boil the vegetables

   Boil the potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrot and beetroot in salted water until completely soft. Drain, keeping a cup of the cooking water.

2. 2

   Cook the base

   Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a wide pan. Cook the onion until golden, add the ginger-garlic paste and green chilli, then the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to separate.

3. 3

   Add the spices

   Stir in the pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and salt, and cook for a minute so the spices bloom.

4. 4

   Mash it together

   Add the vegetables and mash everything with a potato masher until mostly smooth. Add the cooking water a splash at a time and simmer for 10 minutes, until thick and glossy.

5. 5

   Finish with butter

   Stir in the last tablespoon of butter and a squeeze of lemon. Taste for salt.

6. 6

   Toast the pav

   Split the buns, melt butter in a pan and toast the cut sides until golden. Serve with the bhaji, onion, coriander and lemon.

01

Tips for a better result

• Cook the vegetables until completely soft so they mash without lumps.
• Add the butter in two stages: some to cook the base, and a final knob to finish.
• Use a masher on the pan, not a blender, for the right rustic texture.

03

Shopping for it in Canada

• Pav bhaji masala: from Indian grocers and many supermarkets in the international aisle.
• Pav: soft dinner rolls or small brioche-style buns work fine.
• Kashmiri chilli powder: gives colour without too much heat. Regular paprika is a stand-in.
• Beetroot: a small piece adds the red colour traditional in Mumbai.