What is inside
What is inside Pav Bhaji?
Pav Bhaji is a buttery, spiced mash of vegetables served with soft toasted buns. Here is what is inside it, layer by layer, and why each one is there.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 2 min read
Layers
5 in all
Key ingredient
Mashed vegetables
Heat
Medium
Served
Hot, with buttered buns
The 5 layers of Pav Bhaji
Pav Bhaji is built from 5 parts. They are listed in the order you meet them, and the numbers match the diagram.
The bhaji
Potato, cauliflower, peas and tomato boiled soft and mashed together on a wide griddle into a thick, rust-red curry.
Pav bhaji masala
A dedicated spice blend, with coriander, cumin, dried red chilli, fennel and others, that gives the dish its unmistakable smell.
Butter
A generous amount, stirred in at the end and melted on top. It carries the spices and makes the bhaji glossy.
The pav
Soft bread rolls, split and toasted in butter on the same griddle until golden at the edges.
The garnish
Raw chopped onion, fresh coriander and a wedge of lemon that cut through the richness.
01
What it is made of
The bhaji is a mash of vegetables, and the pav is a plain soft roll. What turns them into pav bhaji is the spice blend and the butter, which are used in quantities that are quite generous.
- Potato
- Cauliflower
- Green peas
- Tomato and onion
- Pav bhaji masala
- Butter
- Pav buns
02
How the layers work together
Smooth, savoury and warmly spiced, with sweetness from tomato and a tang from lemon. The buttered, toasted pav is soft inside and crisp at the edge, and the raw onion gives crunch against the creamy mash.
03
Where it comes from
Pav bhaji is said to have started as a quick, filling late meal for workers in Mumbai, put together from leftover vegetables and bread. It later moved from street carts into restaurants across India and abroad.
04
Variations and other names
You will see a few regional and creative versions:
- Cheese pav bhaji: topped with grated cheese.
- Jain pav bhaji: made without onion and root vegetables.
- Kada pav bhaji: a spicier, coarser version.
- Pav bhaji fondue or pizza: modern cafe twists on the same flavours.
05
How to eat it
Tear a piece of buttered pav, scoop up some bhaji and eat them together. Sprinkle the raw onion over each bite and squeeze a little lemon on top. Finish by scraping the plate with the last bit of pav.
06
Pav Bhaji at Tapri Chai
Pav Bhaji is $13.99 CAD on our menu. We make it in a 100% vegetarian kitchen at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa, open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm, closed Mondays.
Questions, answered.
What is Pav Bhaji made of?
Pav Bhaji is made of potato, cauliflower, green peas, tomato and onion, pav bhaji masala, butter and pav buns.
How many layers does Pav Bhaji have?
Traditionally 5: the bhaji, pav bhaji masala, butter, the pav and the garnish.
Is Pav Bhaji vegetarian?
Yes. The traditional recipe is vegetarian, and every dish at Tapri Chai is vegetarian.
Is Pav Bhaji spicy?
It is medium, with a warm, aromatic spice rather than sharp heat.
Where can I try Pav Bhaji in Ottawa?
At Tapri Chai, 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa. Pav Bhaji is $13.99 CAD on our menu.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.