Pav Bhaji Masala Recipe | How To Make Pav Bhaji Masala At Home

Our flavourful Pav Bhaji Masala recipe is an exquisite blend of thirteen Indian spices created for those who crave the distinct flavour of the Mumbai style Pav Bhaji. This Mumbai style Pav Bhaji Masala recipe is one for keeps as it shall help you dish out numerous helpings of delectable pav bhaji from the clean and comfortable environs of your own kitchen.

If you’ve travelled to Mumbai in Maharashtra, chances are you have, at some point, partaken in this favourite Mumbaikar (now national) street food. We believe that Pav Bhaji gets it Yummefy-ed flavour from Pav Bhaji Masala Powder, which is cooked with a mash of boiled and tawa-fried vegetables topped with butter, before being served with pav on the side.
 

The spices that go into the making of this Mumbai style Pav Bhaji Masala include fiery red chillies, sweet and woody cinnamon, fragrant bay leaves, citrusy and spicy coriander seeds, pungent peppercorns, refreshingly aromatic fennel seeds, earthy and nutty cumin seeds, sweet, astringent cloves, sweet and spicy star anise, smoky black cardamom pods, flavourful turmeric powder, warm and zesty dried ginger powder, and sour mango powder – all highlighted by addition of sulfurous black salt and some table salt. These pav bhaji masala ingredients dry roasted and ground together make a spice blend that will elevate your homemade pav bhaji to the level of the best pav bhaji eateries in Mumbai.
 

If you’ve been trying the many brands of Pav Bhaji Masala off the supermarket store shelves, stop right now, and head to your kitchen to try our easy and aromatic Pav Bhaji Masala Powder recipe. This special blend is easy to make. It is sans preservatives or additives. And it certainly is very addictive!
 

Origin of Pav Bhaji:

The first ever version of the Pav Bhaji is believed to have been cooked in the 1850s, when in erstwhile Bombay, textile mill workers wanted a quick lunch. Think large tawas over a flame with seasonal vegetables being cooked with the distinctive clanking of the metal spatulas, mashing, breaking, mixing all the ingredients together. Into this would be added homemade pav bhaji masala powder along with large amounts of butter, and then served hot with buttered pav. The dish later began being served at restaurants across Mumbai. As of today, it is a classic Mumbai street food served at stalls, carts, and other eateries across Mumbai. Pav Bhaji not only features on the menus of street food stalls in Mumbai, but also in many street and multi-cuisine restaurants across India, and even in restaurants outside India.
 

How to make Pav Bhaji Masala:

If you want to learn how to make Pav Bhaji Masala at home you can follow our simple instructional video which seamlessly guides you through the step by step process of making the masala. Gather and measure all the spices before beginning the process of making the masala powder. Some pav bhaji masala ingredients are dry roasted to ensure that any trace of moisture from the spices is removed and so they can easily be ground. Dry roasting also ensures that these spices release their aroma. However, care should be taken that they are neither over roasted nor cooked on high heat, otherwise the spices may get charred and that will change the flavour of the resulting pav bhaji masala.
 

To make a fine pav bhaji masala blend, you could use a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or even a small food processor.
 

When the masala is ready and has completely cooled, you must store it in an air-tight container, ideally in the freezer, refrigerator, or at least in a cool dark place, so that the aroma remains intact. A glass jar or a steel jar with an air-tight lid is best suited to store this masala.
 

Storage and serving tips for Pav Bhaji Masala:

This masala packs a punch in your recipes when made fresh. However, you can choose to make it in bulk and store it for up to 30 days. We do know of many people who swear that the aroma of the masala remains intact for much beyond a month, for up to 90 days. However, we strongly recommend you make it in small batches.
 

You could use this Pav Bhaji Masala powder recipe in a number of dishes besides the regular Pav Bhaji. Use just a tiny amount to add a burst of flavour to your everyday vegetables.  You could also add it to variants of a Pav Bhaji such as Cheese Pav Bhaji, Paneer Pav Bhaji, Kolhapuri Pav Bhaji, et al.
 

Learn how to make the best pav bhaji masala powder at home with all ingredients and easy cooking method below.

And if you love, like we do, freshly ground home-made spices and masalas, you should also try our recipes for:

Biryani Masala
Garam Masala
Chaat Masala
Sambar Podi
Meat Masala
Panch Phoron

Or see all our Condiment and Chutney Recipes right here!