Pav Bhaji Masala: Spice Mix That Makes This Dish Everyone's Favourite

By Krati Purwar

July 30, 2025

Mumbai’s special pav bhaji is a popular street food in India. Everybody loves its spicy, tangy, and earthy notes. Lip-smacking pav bhaji is served with toasted pav, chopped onions, and a lemon wedge. But what gives it the flavour? The secret is a special spice blend. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients

5-6 red chillies 3-inch cinnamon 4 green cardamoms 3 tbsp coriander seeds 2.5 tbsp cumin seeds 1 star anise 10 cloves 2 bay leaves ½ tsp dried ginger powder 2 tbsp peppercorn 1 tbsp fennel seeds 1 tbsp amchur powder

Step 1

Clean the spices and remove any debris.

Step 2

Dry roast aromatics in a hot pan.

Step 3

Add peppercorn, cumin seeds, cardamoms, cloves, and fennel seeds.

Step 4

Dry roast all the spices and set them aside to cool.

Step 5

Blitz the spices in a jar and store the pav bhaji mix in a jar.

Step 6

Add it to the bhaji and recreate a Mumbai-special dish at home.