Masala Pav is that for me.
And not just any masala pav—the kind that’s spicy enough to make your eyes water, buttery enough to make your cardiologist nervous, and messy enough that you’ll need a napkin and a moral reset.
Backstory Time: A Girl, a Bus Stop, and a Masala Pav
I was 14, wearing bell bottoms (I know), standing outside Borivali station with two heavy school bags and the kind of teenage rage you only get when your math teacher calls your crush to the blackboard and not you.
And there it was.
A guy at a street cart flipping pav on a giant tawa like it was a Bollywood dance-off. He slathered on what looked like a pound of Amul butter, threw in some chopped onions, tomatoes, green chilies, pav bhaji masala, coriander—and smashed it all into this spicy, tangy chaos on bread.
I took one bite and nearly blacked out.
Butter. Spice. Toasted carbs. Masala Pav had entered the chat—and I’ve never been the same since.
What Even Is Masala Pav?
Okay so for the uninitiated (read: anyone not from Mumbai or adjacent), masala pav is basically what happens when pav bhaji loses its chill and decides to go full gremlin-mode.
Instead of serving bhaji next to the bread, you fry the spiced vegetable mash directly with the pav. It’s more snacky. More intense. Less formal. Like pav bhaji’s rebellious younger cousin who wears leather jackets and skips tuition.
And don’t confuse this with vada pav. That’s a whole different saga of fried potato patties and heartbreak. We’ll get to that one day.
Let’s Get to the Recipe (But Not Too Fast, I Ramble)
Here’s What You’ll Need:
🌶 Masala Mix:
- 1 tbsp oil + 1 heaping tbsp butter (don’t you dare skip the butter)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 green chili, chopped (or 2 if you like pain)
- 1/2 bell pepper (capsicum), chopped
- 1 medium tomato, chopped real small
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste (or fake it with powder—no judgment)
- 1 tsp pav bhaji masala (this is non-negotiable)
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- Salt, to taste
- Splash of water (like, a couple tablespoons)
- Chopped coriander for good vibes
🍞 The Pav Bit:
- 4 pav buns (or Hawaiian rolls if you live in the US and forgot to go to the Indian store again)
- More butter than you think is reasonable
The Chaos Cooking Method
“She looked at me and said, ‘You seriously thought that would work?’
Me, after using olive oil instead of butter once for masala pav. Never again.”
- Heat oil and butter in a flat pan or tawa. Let it melt into each other like a rom-com meet-cute.
- Throw in cumin seeds. Wait till they pop like your brain does when someone texts “we need to talk.”
- Add in onions and chilies—sauté until your kitchen smells like a Mumbai street at 7PM (read: amazing and slightly alarming).
- Toss in ginger garlic paste. Stir like your life depends on it. This is your flavor base. Respect it.
- Add capsicum and tomato. Let them get mushy. Cry a little if you want.
- Time for the spice dump: pav bhaji masala, turmeric, chili powder, salt. Stir till it smells like your dreams. Add a splash of water to keep it from sticking.
- Smash it a bit. Not full bhaji level. Just a gentle mash—like a breakup where you still stay friends.
- Split your pav buns horizontally but keep one side attached (like a hinge—look, I don’t know building terms). Slather them with butter and toast on the same pan. Let them soak in the masala around the edges too.
- Stuff that masala between the buns. Garnish with coriander. Maybe some chopped raw onion if you’re wild.
- Eat while standing. That’s the rule. Sitting down makes it too civilized.
Closing-ish Thoughts (Don’t Make This Too Deep)
I know this post is messy, a little dramatic, and heavy on the nostalgia. But so is masala pav.
It’s not clean. It’s not fancy. It will stain your fingers.
But you’ll think about it long after it’s gone.
So yeah. Next time you’re tired, hungry, broke, or just emotionally unavailable for salad—make masala pav.
And if you do? Send me pics. Or don’t. Just make sure you eat it hot. Standing. Ideally while watching reruns of CID or something equally chaotic.
