The spice blend behind Mumbai's most famous street food
A bold, slightly tangy blend built around dried mango and coriander. What makes pav bhaji taste like pav bhaji — not just any vegetable mash.
Pav bhaji masala is a single-purpose blend — it exists specifically to produce the distinctive flavour of pav bhaji. Unlike garam masala which is a general finishing blend, pav bhaji masala is added during cooking and drives the entire flavour profile of the dish. The dominant spice is coriander, balanced with dried mango powder (amchur) for tartness and Kashmiri chilli for colour rather than heat. The blend also typically contains a small amount of dried pomegranate seed (anardana) which gives it a fruity sourness different from lemon.
| Quantity (makes ~50g) | Spice — and its role |
|---|---|
| 4 tbsp | Coriander seeds dominant base Flavour base — largest component |
| 2 tbsp | Cumin seeds earthy backdrop Base spice |
| 2 tbsp | Dried mango powder (amchur) tartness Sourness — added to grinder after roasting |
| 1 tbsp | Kashmiri red chilli colour and mild heat Colour — not heat |
| 1 tsp | Black pepper warmth Background warmth |
| 1 tsp | Fennel seeds slight sweetness Balancing sweetness |
| ½ tsp | Dry ginger powder sharp warmth Added after roasting |
| ½ tsp | Anardana (dried pomegranate) fruity sour note Depth sourness |
| ½ tsp | Turmeric colour and bitterness balance Colour base |
| ¼ tsp | Cloves intensity Background intensity |
Dry-roast coriander, cumin, fennel, black pepper and cloves separately. Cool. Grind to fine powder.
The whole spices develop Maillard compounds during roasting that are absent from pre-ground powder. The fennel seeds in pav bhaji masala contribute trans-anethole — a mildly sweet compound that counterbalances the sourness of the amchur.
Add amchur, Kashmiri chilli, dry ginger, anardana and turmeric to the ground spice mix. Mix well. Do not roast these — they are already processed.
Amchur, dry ginger and Kashmiri chilli are already in dehydrated powder form — roasting them would over-concentrate their compounds and produce bitter, harsh notes. They are added after grinding the whole spices to preserve their fresh character.