Pav Bhaji
Potato, cauliflower and green peas come together in this Indian vegetarian — 65 minutes, 6 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (7)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Boil the diced potato, cauliflower florets and peas until very soft, about 12 to 15 minutes, then drain and mash coarsely and set aside.
- Melt half the butter in a wide pan and saute the finely chopped onion with the minced garlic and ginger until soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped bell pepper and tomatoes and cook down for 8 to 10 minutes until the tomatoes collapse into a thick pulpy masala.
- Stir in the pav bhaji masala, chilli powder and salt, then add the mashed vegetables with a splash of water and mash everything together in the pan.
- Simmer the bhaji for 10 minutes, mashing and stirring until thick and well combined, adjusting water for a spoonable consistency, then finish with a knob of butter and chopped coriander.
- Slice the rolls almost through, toast them cut-side down in the remaining butter until golden, and serve hot with the bhaji, lemon wedges and raw chopped onion.
You'll use: Pan · Large pot · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Pav Bhaji
- Aloo Gobi Vegan
- Butter Chicken Chicken
- Chana Masala Vegan
- Gulab Jamun Dessert
Tips & common questions
How long does Pav Bhaji take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 14 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Pav Bhaji vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Pav Bhaji is an original Indian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Nothing like some good Indian street food! - Pav Bhaji !.jpg by Tanveer Ahmed, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.