Pav Bhaji

Heartbeat comes in four - Homemade masala, three pastes, a second-pan temper, and masala pav.

4 May 2024

Pav bhaji from this notebook is four jobs that only look like one plate: a spice mix you grind yourself, three wet pastes, a mashed vegetable base, and a second pan of temper that gets folded back in. The garlic chutney is not a garnish afterthought — it is what turns buttered pav into masala pav.

Draft 2 cut the party in half (7–8 down to about 4) and swapped cabbage for cauliflower. The red numbers on chilli powder and coriander powder are not decoration; the first draft was too loud. The masala batch is larger than one cook needs on purpose — same idea as a schezwan paste that outlives dinner.

Nutrition figures are household estimates for one serving with the butter, not a restaurant lab assay.

The Recipe

Serves: 4
Prep: 60 min
Cook: 45 min

Tabular recipe: ingredients down the left, actions across columns in time order. Parallel actions share a column; non-contiguous ingredients repeat the same text.
Ingredient	01	02Bhaji base	03Capsicum	04Pastes	05Powder	06Mash	07Temper	08Bhaji and Garnish	09Chutney	10Masala pav	11Plate
0 0.375 cups coriander seedsDry-roast with jeera first, 2 min on low	Masala Dry-roast coriander seeds and jeera 2 min on low. Add cloves, star anise, black cardamom, cinnamon, bay, dried chilli, and fennel; keep low (~51°C feel). Off heat, stir in kasuri methi. Cool, grind, then mix in turmeric, ginger powder, amchur, black salt, hing, and salt. Leftover keeps. Draft 1 prep page; red ink is draft 2.				Add homemade PBM, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, kasuri methi, and salt. Stir.	Add boiled vegetables, tomato, and hot water in a flat pan. Low flame, mash, repeat at about 90°C until the bhaji is one soft mass that still holds shape.		Fold the temper into the bhaji. Lemon and a last knob of butter.			Heap the bhaji, set the pav beside it, and finish with coriander, onion, butter, lemon, and more red chutney. Serve at once. Draft 2 halved the serve count; orange ink is temperature and texture.
1 3 tbsp cumin seedsFor the masala roast
2 21 cloves20–22
3 2.5 star aniseDraft 2; was 4–5
4 3 black cardamomDraft 2; was 5–6
5 2 cinnamon stickDraft 2; flat sticks; was 3–4
6 5 bay leaf4–5
7 22 dried red chilliFor the masala roast; 20–25
8 3 tbsp fennel seedsBadishep / badisaunf
9 2 tbsp kasuri methiOff heat, before grinding the masala
10 0.5 tsp turmeric powderStirred into the ground masala
11 0.5 tsp ginger powder
12 1 tbsp amchurDry mango powder
13 1 tsp black saltInto the ground masala
14 1 tsp hing
15 1 tbsp saltInto the ground masala
16 20 dried red chilliDeseeded, soaked; for red chilli paste	Red Chilli Paste Deseed and soak the paste chillies, then grind with water.			Stir in green chilli paste, watery garlic paste, and red chilli paste.			Second pan, medium flame: butter, red chilli paste, garlic paste, PBM, pinch of garam masala.		Oil, jeera, both pastes, salt, PBM, garam masala, ajwain, black salt, green chilli paste. Cook until the oil separates. Lemon and coriander.	Medium flame: butter, a smear of the chutney, coriander, then the pav.
17 4.5 oz garlic~¾ cup cloves; watery grind; +10% is fine	Garlic Paste Grind garlic watery.
18 18 green chilli15–20; grind with a little water	Green Chilli Paste Grind green chillies with a little water.
19 1.15 lb potato	Boil Open cooker: potato, cauliflower, peas, beetroot, salt, turmeric — until soft enough to mash.
20 14 oz cauliflowerDraft 2; was cabbage
21 4 oz green peas~¾ cup
22 1 beetrootMedium; boil, then grate
23 Salt, for boiling
24 0.5 tsp turmericWith the open-cooker vegetables
25 6 oz onion2–3 medium; for the bhaji	Chop Chop onion, capsicum, tomato, and coriander.	Butter and oil, then jeera. Add onion; cook 90–99°C until translucent, not brown.	Add capsicum. About 2 minutes — draft 2 says cook more.	Stir in green chilli paste, watery garlic paste, and red chilli paste.	Add homemade PBM, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, kasuri methi, and salt. Stir.
26 2 capsicumMedium; cook longer than you think			Add capsicum. About 2 minutes — draft 2 says cook more.
27 8 tomato7–8
28 0.25 cups fresh corianderChopped; more for plate if you want
29 1.75 oz butterBhaji base		Butter and oil, then jeera. Add onion; cook 90–99°C until translucent, not brown.	Add capsicum. About 2 minutes — draft 2 says cook more.	Stir in green chilli paste, watery garlic paste, and red chilli paste.	Add homemade PBM, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric, kasuri methi, and salt. Stir.
30 2 tbsp oilBhaji base
31 2 tsp cumin seedsBhaji temper in the main pan
32 1 tbsp green chilli pasteBhaji; from the ground green chillies
33 0.5 cups garlic pasteBhaji; watery; 7–8 tbsp
34 0.5 cups red chilli pasteBhaji; 7–8 tbsp
35 2 tbsp pav bhaji masalaFrom the homemade batch
36 0.5 tbsp red chilli powderDraft 2; was 1 tsp
37 0.25 tsp coriander powderDraft 2; was 1 tbsp
38 0.5 tsp turmericBhaji
39 1 tsp kasuri methiBhaji
40 Salt, for the bhaji
41 1.5 cups hot water1–2 cups; add as the mash asks
42 1.75 oz butterSecond pan temper							Second pan, medium flame: butter, red chilli paste, garlic paste, PBM, pinch of garam masala.
43 0.375 cups red chilli pasteTemper; 4–5 tbsp
44 3 tbsp garlic pasteTemper; watery; 2–3 tbsp
45 1 tsp pav bhaji masalaTemper
46 Garam masala, a pinchTemper
47 0.5 lemonFinish the bhaji with the temper
48 1 tbsp butterFinish; off heat with the lemon
49 0.25 cups oilChutney; 3–4 tbsp									Oil, jeera, both pastes, salt, PBM, garam masala, ajwain, black salt, green chilli paste. Cook until the oil separates. Lemon and coriander.	Medium flame: butter, a smear of the chutney, coriander, then the pav.
50 1 tsp cumin seedsChutney
51 0.5 cups red chilli pasteChutney
52 0.5 cups garlic pasteChutney; watery
53 Salt, for the chutney
54 1 tsp pav bhaji masalaChutney
55 1 tsp garam masalaChutney
56 1 tsp ajwain powder
57 1 tsp black saltChutney
58 0.5 tbsp green chilli pasteChutney
59 0.5 lemonChutney finish
60 2 tbsp fresh corianderChutney finish
61 2 tbsp butterFor toasting the pav
62 2 tsp pav bhaji masala chutneySpread on the pav; from the garlic chutney
63 8 pav2 per person
64 1 onionFinely chopped; plate garnish
65 0.5 lemonWedges for the plate
66 Butter, for the plate
67 2 tbsp fresh corianderPlate

Equipment

flat-bottom kadhai or wide panFor the bhaji; needs room to mash
second panTempering and the garlic chutney
blenderPastes must be fine; garlic paste stays watery on purpose
open cooker or potBoiled vegetables with salt and turmeric
spatulaMashing, not gentle folding
colander (चाळणी)Drain the boiled vegetables
lidOptional cover while the mash settles
masherOptional

Ingredients

0.375 cups coriander seeds — Dry-roast with jeera first, 2 min on low
0.25 cups cumin seeds — For the masala roast; Bhaji temper in the main pan; Chutney
21 cloves — 20–22
2.5 star anise — Draft 2; was 4–5
3 black cardamom — Draft 2; was 5–6
2 cinnamon stick — Draft 2; flat sticks; was 3–4
5 bay leaf — 4–5
42 dried red chilli — For the masala roast; 20–25; Deseeded, soaked; for red chilli paste
3 tbsp fennel seeds — Badishep / badisaunf
2.25 tbsp kasuri methi — Off heat, before grinding the masala; Bhaji
0.5 tsp turmeric powder — Stirred into the ground masala
0.5 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp amchur — Dry mango powder
2 tsp black salt — Into the ground masala; Chutney
1 tsp hing
1 tbsp salt — Into the ground masala
4.5 oz garlic — ~¾ cup cloves; watery grind; +10% is fine
18 green chilli — 15–20; grind with a little water
1.15 lb potato
14 oz cauliflower — Draft 2; was cabbage
4 oz green peas — ~¾ cup
1 beetroot — Medium; boil, then grate
Salt, for boiling
1 tsp turmeric — With the open-cooker vegetables; Bhaji
6 oz onion — 2–3 medium; for the bhaji
2 capsicum — Medium; cook longer than you think
8 tomato — 7–8
0.5 cups fresh coriander — Chopped; more for plate if you want; Chutney finish; Plate
3.5 oz butter — Bhaji base; Second pan temper
0.375 cups oil — Bhaji base; Chutney; 3–4 tbsp
1.5 tbsp green chilli paste — Bhaji; from the ground green chillies; Chutney
1.25 cups garlic paste — Bhaji; watery; 7–8 tbsp; Temper; watery; 2–3 tbsp; Chutney; watery
1.25 cups red chilli paste — Bhaji; 7–8 tbsp; Temper; 4–5 tbsp; Chutney
2.75 tbsp pav bhaji masala — From the homemade batch; Temper; Chutney
1.5 tsp red chilli powder — Draft 2; was 1 tsp
0.25 tsp coriander powder — Draft 2; was 1 tbsp
Salt, for the bhaji
1.5 cups hot water — 1–2 cups; add as the mash asks
Garam masala, a pinch — Temper
1.5 lemon — Finish the bhaji with the temper; Chutney finish; Wedges for the plate
3 tbsp butter — Finish; off heat with the lemon; For toasting the pav
Salt, for the chutney
1 tsp garam masala — Chutney
1 tsp ajwain powder
2 tsp pav bhaji masala chutney — Spread on the pav; from the garlic chutney
8 pav — 2 per person
1 onion — Finely chopped; plate garnish
Butter, for the plate

Nutrition

Per serving estimates; whole dish scales with servings.

Carbs 42.6%
Fat 49.2%
Protein 8.2%

	Per serving	Whole dish
Calories	740	2960
Carbs	78 g	312 g
Fat	40 g	160 g
Protein	15 g	60 g
Fiber	14 g	56 g
Sodium	980 mg	3920 mg