Indian · Lunch & handhelds

Pav bhaji

Name: Pav bhaji
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks; 2 cups cauliflower florets; 1 cup frozen green peas; 1 medium carrot, chopped; 2 cups water; 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger; 5 garlic cloves, finely grated; 2 cups finely chopped ripe tomatoes; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin; 1 teaspoon amchur; 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder; 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel; 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt; 12 soft ladi pav or small dinner rolls; 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped; 1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves, chopped; 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Mumbai-style buttery vegetable bhaji mashed and reduced on the pan with a house spice blend, served with masala-toasted pav.

About 1 hr 15 minTotal

About 1 hr 15 minActive

$Cost

ModerateDifficulty

Makes 6 servings

Equipment

Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Best starting skillet
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3
View at Amazon
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan; the crust will be lighter but still valid.
Paid links. As an Amazon Associate, Kwilt earns from qualifying purchases.
How we chose
Research-backed · reviewed Aug 2026
We matched the recipe’s diameter and preheating method, then checked material, heat retention, cooktop fit, weight, care, stable model identity, and exact destination. Kwilt has not cooked with this skillet.
Lodge 10.25-Inch Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet · L8SK3: The 10.25-inch seasoned surface matches the recipe footprint and retains enough heat to create the crisp cornbread edge promised by a preheated skillet method. Trade-off: It weighs more than five pounds, the handles become hot, and avoiding rust requires prompt hand washing, drying, and light oiling.
Another workable path: Preheat a 9-inch metal cake pan with the recipe’s fat; the crust will be lighter but the crumb and flavor remain valid.
Sources
Lodge cast-iron material and care
Amazon exact product listing

Ingredients

1× recipe · Makes 6 servings

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup frozen green peas
1 medium carrot, chopped
2 cups water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
5 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 cups finely chopped ripe tomatoes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon amchur
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 soft ladi pav or small dinner rolls
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 packed cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Instructions

Combine potatoes, cauliflower, peas, carrot, and 2 cups water. Cover and simmer until completely tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Reserve any cooking liquid and crush vegetables coarsely.
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a over medium-high. Crackle cumin seeds, then cook yellow onion and bell pepper until soft and lightly browned, 8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic for 1 minute, then tomatoes and salt; cook until jammy and the butter begins to separate, 8 to 10 minutes.
Mix coriander, ground cumin, amchur, chile powder, garam masala, and fennel. Add all but 1 teaspoon of this blend to the tomato base, stir 30 seconds, then add vegetables and 1 cup reserved liquid or water.
Mash and fold the bhaji continuously on the hot pan for 8 to 10 minutes, adding liquid a splash at a time, until cohesive, glossy, and spoonable but not puréed. Beat in 1 tablespoon butter and half the cilantro; adjust salt and lemon at the table.
Split pav. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter on a skillet with the reserved teaspoon spice blend; press cut sides into the seasoned butter until golden. Serve two hot pav per portion with bhaji, red onion, remaining cilantro, and lemon wedges.

Mumbai, IndiaMumbai street cooking

From the table

About this recipe

Pav bhaji developed in Mumbai as a fast, sustaining plate of butter-mashed spiced vegetables served with griddled pav, onion, cilantro, and lemon.

Pav bhaji began as a quick meal associated with Mumbai textile-mill workers and became a citywide street-food standard. Its identity is the buttery tawa-mashed vegetable bhaji beside—not inside—soft toasted pav. This Kwilt version follows the reviewed household adaptation: Build a measured house pav-bhaji spice blend and reproduce tawa reduction in a wide skillet, preserving texture and tableside freshness without artificial red color.

Sources

Dinner does not stop at the recipe