Mumbai Street-Style Pav Bhaji with Buttery Griddled Rolls

⏱ 50 min · Serves 4

The king of Mumbai street food: a glossy, spice-slicked mash of potato, peas and peppers, mashed right in the pan until it's silky, then finished with an unapologetic slab of butter. Scooped up with soft rolls griddled in more butter and a squeeze of lime — pure comfort.

Per serving: 615 kcal · 14.5g protein · 82.0g carbs · 25.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400g potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 150g cauliflower florets
• 100g frozen peas
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 4 tbsp butter, plus 3 tbsp for the pav
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 4 large tomatoes, finely chopped (or 400g tin chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tbsp pav bhaji masala
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp salt, to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 150ml hot water
• Juice of 1 lime
• Large handful coriander, chopped
• 8 soft white dinner rolls (pav)
• 1 small red onion, finely diced, to serve

Method

1. Boil the potatoes, cauliflower, carrot and peas in salted water for 12-15 minutes until very soft. Drain, reserving a mugful of the cooking water, and mash roughly.
2. Heat the oil and 2 tbsp butter in a wide, heavy pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 seconds.
3. Add the onions and a pinch of salt; fry over medium-high heat for 8 minutes until golden at the edges.
4. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste, green chillies and green pepper. Cook 3-4 minutes until the pepper softens.
5. Add the tomatoes, turmeric, chilli powder and pav bhaji masala. Cook hard for 8-10 minutes, mashing as you go, until the tomatoes collapse into a thick paste and oil beads at the edges.
6. Tip in the mashed vegetables with the salt, sugar and hot water. Now mash vigorously in the pan with a potato masher for 3-4 minutes — this is what makes bhaji, bhaji. Loosen with reserved cooking water to a thick, scoopable consistency.
7. Simmer 5 minutes, then stir through 2 tbsp butter, the lime juice and most of the coriander. Taste and adjust salt and masala.
8. Split the rolls. Melt 3 tbsp butter in a frying pan with a pinch of pav bhaji masala and griddle the rolls cut-side down for 1-2 minutes until golden.
9. Serve the bhaji topped with a knob of butter, raw red onion, coriander and a lime wedge, with the hot buttery pav alongside.