Friday, January 11, 2019

Pav Bhaji masala


A popular street food in Mumbai and Delhi, Pav Bhaji literally means buns with vegetables.

Thick gravy with potatoes, peas and tomatoes are simmered and spiked with a special masala blend, topped with a dollop of butter, coriander, raw onion and lime wedges, served with pav / buns also crisped in butter.
This recipe is for the special dry spice blend that gives the bhaji its distinctive flavor. You can definitely find Pav-bhaji masala in the stores and I have used it several times when I am in a hurry. But the flavor of the home-made masala is simply delectable. All the ingredients are likely to be in your pantry and you can always control the spice level by altering the amount of black peppercorns and red chilies.
Do give this one a try, you will love it.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp fennel seeds (Saunf)
1 tsp black peppercorns
8-10 dry red chilies
1-inch cinnamon stick 
6 cloves
1½ tbsp Amchur (dry mango powder)
1 tsp turmeric

Lightly roast the first 5 ingredients till toasted and fragrant. Cool. Put all the ingredients in a blender and coarsely grind. Store in an airtight container.