What it is
Pav bhaji masala is the blend behind Mumbai’s most famous street dish, and it turns up in misal and other tawa (griddle) snacks too. It is a tangy-warm-hot mix, built to season a mashed medley of vegetables cooked in butter.
A coriander-cumin base carries dried chilli, amchur for tang, fennel, black cardamom, pepper and dry ginger.
The blend
Makes a small jar. The amchur tang and the warm spices are what set it apart from a plain garam masala.
- Coriander seeds3 tbsp
- Cumin seeds2 tbsp
- Dried chilli5
- Amchur (dry mango) · the tang1 tbsp
- Fennel seeds1 tsp
- Black peppercorns1 tsp
- Black cardamom2 pods
- Cinnamon, cloves1 inch + 1 tsp
- Dry ginger powder1 tsp
The amchur is what makes it taste like pav bhaji, that gentle sourness against the butter. Keep chilli to taste; street versions are hotter.
How to make it
1 · Dry-roast the whole spices
Warm the coriander, cumin, chilli, fennel, pepper, black cardamom, cinnamon and cloves over low heat until fragrant.
2 · Cool completely
Let them cool so the powder stays dry.
3 · Grind with amchur and dry ginger
Grind everything to a fine powder, adding the amchur and dry ginger.
4 · Store airtight
Keep dry and airtight, amchur draws moisture, for up to a couple of months.
Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons into the mashed vegetables as they cook down with butter, and finish with a squeeze of lemon and raw onion.
Why these spices
The signature is the amchur: its dry acidity gives pav bhaji that moreish tang against the richness of the butter, without adding liquid to a dish you want thick. The warm spices, black cardamom especially, add depth, and the chilli brings the street-stall heat. As ever, freshly ground is brighter than the packet.
The honest note
The masala is just spices, no salt in this version, so it is the butter in the bhaji, not the blend, that is the indulgence. Cook the bhaji with less butter and more vegetables and it becomes genuinely wholesome. A trace of vitamin C from the amchur is a small bonus.