Pav Bhaji

Method

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1. Boil the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and peas together until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 300 ml of the water, and mash roughly.

   Mark done Start 15 min timer

2. Melt half the butter in a wide, heavy pan. Fry the onions for 8 minutes until soft and golden.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Add the ginger-garlic paste for 2 minutes, then the green pepper for 3 minutes.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

4. Add the tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and half the pav bhaji masala and cook 12 minutes, mashing constantly, until the tomatoes collapse entirely and the mixture darkens.

   Mark done

5. Add the mashed vegetables, the remaining masala, salt and the reserved cooking water. Mash hard with a potato masher for 5 minutes over medium heat until glossy and uniform.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Add the remaining butter in three additions, mashing it in each time, and simmer 5 minutes more. Finish with lemon juice and most of the coriander.

   Mark done

7. Melt the butter for the pav in a wide frying pan with the teaspoon of masala. Press the split rolls cut side down and griddle 90 seconds until golden and buttery.

   Mark done

8. Serve the bhaji with a knob of butter on top, the hot pav alongside, and raw onion, coriander and lemon to scatter.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Pav bhaji masala is a specific blend and there is no good substitute. Buy it rather than approximating with garam masala.
• Do not be shy with the butter. This is a dish defined by it, and halving it gives you a bland vegetable mash.
• A potato masher, used aggressively and repeatedly, is the real technique here.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Cold cola or a salted lassi
• Extra lemon and raw onion
• Kulfi afterwards

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerate up to 4 days and freeze 2 months. Reheat with a splash of water and a fresh knob of butter.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.