
pav bhaji masala powder recipe with step by step photos – a spice mix that is added to the famous mumbai pav bhaji.
i had got requests to post different types of masala that we often use in indian cuisine. i will be sharing the recipes as and when, i prepare them. for now sharing this pav bhaji masala. this is a strong and aromatic masala and the pav bhaji that you will make with it, will only get better.
for the first time i made pav bhaji masala altering the proportions of garam masala that i use and adding some more ingredients to it. this masala is so good, that when i added it to the pav bhaji, the taste became phenomenal. it was very much like the pav bhaji served in mumbai. since the masala is strong, hence add only 2 to 3 teaspoons when making pav bhaji for 4 to 5 servings.
the recipe of pav bhaji masala is fairly simple and easy. a few suggestions before you begin:
- take the spices. then check if they have stones and are clean.
- make sure there is no hidden mold growing in them.
- also use fresh spices and not old ones.
- sun dry or roast the spices in a pan or oven.
- while using cinnamon, use the true cinnamon (ceylon cinnamon) and not cassia. to know how to find the difference, you can read this post here.
i usually sun dry spices when making spice blends like garam masala or pav bhaji masala. you can sun dry for a couple of days (2 to 3 days). then grind them in a dry grinder. bottle and store.
if you do not get sunlight, then you can roast the spices one by one in the pan till aromatic. or else you can roast them in an oven. the oven has to be set at its lowest temperature. the temperature can range anywhere between 50 degrees celsius/122 degrees fahrenheit to 80 degrees celsius/194 fahrenheit. depending on the temperature range, you may dry them for about 6 hours to 15 hours.
i have mentioned the amount of spices to be used in grams as well as cups and tablespoon measurements.
apart from adding the masala to pav bhaji, you can also use this in sabzis & stir fries. the masala can also be added to masala rice, tawa pulao, idli masala, masala pav and mumbai mysore masala dosa. you can also check these few variations of pav bhaji recipes – paneer pav bhaji, kada pav bhaji and no onion no garlic pav bhaji.
pav bhaji masala powder recipe card below:

- ¼ cup cumin seeds (jeera) or 26 grams cumin seeds
- 2 tablespoon fennel seeds (saunf) or 15 grams fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoon coriander seeds (sabut dhania) or 11 grams coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon mace (javitri) or 3 grams mace
- 1 tablespoon cloves (lavang) or 6 grams cloves
- 1 tablespoon black pepper (sabut kali mirch) or 10 grams black pepper
- 5 to 6 grams black cardamoms (badi elaichi) or 2 black cardamoms
- 3 star anise (chakriphool) or 2 grams star anise
- 1 small nutmeg (jaiphal) or 5 grams nutmeg
- 5 cinnamon sticks (dalchini) - each of about 2 inches or 4 grams cinnamon
- 5 to 6 dry red chilies (sookhi lal mirch) - preferably kashmiri red chilies, 4 grams dry red chilies
- 2 tablespoon dry mango powder (amchur powder)
- 1 tablespoon dry ginger powder (saunth)
- 2 teaspoon black salt or rock salt or regular salt - optional
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) - optional
- first take all the whole spices. exclude dry mango powder, dry ginger powder, turmeric powder and black salt.
- check and pick the spices for stones if any. also check if there are molds on them.
- add the whole spices in a plate or tray. keep in the sun for 2 to 3 days.
- cover with a sieved lid or a muslin or loosely woven cotton napkin, so that dust does not fall on the spices, when they are being sun dried. during the day, i would keep the spices out. during night, i would keep the plate inside with a loose lid covering it.
- before you begin, grinding the whole spices, take the nutmeg in a mortar-pestle and crush it coarsely. keep aside.
- now add all the whole spices in the dry grinder jar. you can also use a coffee grinder. add according to the capacity of the jar.
- then add the coarsely crushed nutmeg powder.
- grind to a smooth powder.
- then add ginger powder, dry mango powder, black salt and turmeric powder.
- if you do not have black salt, then you can add rock salt or regular salt. you can even skip it. turmeric powder is also optional and you can skip it too.
- again grind just to mix everything well.
- if you want, you can seive the powder and grind the tiny bits left on the seive.
- let the powder cool down. you can spread it in a plate or allow it to cool in the jar itself. then spoon the powder in a clean glass jar.
- cover tightly and keep in a cool dry place. you can also keep the pav bhaji masala powder in the fridge or freezer. this recipe yields about 100 grams of pav bhaji masala.
few more masala powder recipes:
1. sambar powder recipe
2. amchur powder recipe
3. coriander powder recipe
4. masala milk powder recipe
5. masala tea powder recipe
6. bisi bele bath masala powder
how to make pav bhaji masala powder recipe:
1. first take all the whole spices. below is an infograph of the spices required. i have not included turmeric powder in the picture. just take the whole spices and not the powdered ones like dry mango powder, dry ginger powder, turmeric powder and black salt.
2. add the whole spices in a plate or tray. keep in the sun for 2 to 3 days.
3. cover with a sieved lid or a muslin or loosely woven cotton napkin, so that dust does not fall on the spices, when they are being sun dried. during the day, i would keep the spices out. during night, i would keep the plate inside with a loose lid covering it.
4. in below pic spices after being sun dried for 2 days. after getting sun dried, whatever moisture the spices may have is not there and they also become slightly crisp.
5. before you begin, grinding the whole spices, take the small nutmeg in a mortar-pestle and crush it coarsely. keep aside.
6. now add all the whole spices in the dry grinder jar. you can also use a coffee grinder. add according to the capacity of the jar.
8. then add the coarsely crushed nutmeg powder.
9. grind to a smooth powder. tiny grits of the spices are fine in the masala.
10. then add 1 tablespoon ginger powder.
11. next add 2 tablespoon dry mango powder.
12. next add 2 teaspoon black salt. if you do not have black salt, then you can add rock salt or regular salt. you can even skip it.
13. lastly add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. turmeric powder is optional and you can skip it too.
14. again grind just to mix everything well.
15. if you want, you can seive the powder and grind the tiny bits left on the seive. let the powder cool down. you can spread it in a plate or allow it to cool in the jar itself. then spoon the powder in a clean glass jar.
16. cover tightly and keep in a cool dry place. you can also keep the pav bhaji masala powder in the fridge or freezer. this recipe yields about 100 grams of pav bhaji masala.
Yogita says
If you don’t get annoyed one more correction is that for 500 gm masala black cardmom is 25 to 30 or two .So please correct it.and bay leaves also missing.I have made this masala before two months.it is so good. Today wanted to make it again and found these corrections.
dassana amit says
yogita, no problem. when increasing the quantity in the recipe card, only the first part gets changed. so for the black cardamoms, it will change to 25 to 30 grams. but the later part where i have mentioned 2 cardamoms remains constant.
this program that we are using is made in such a way. so the only the grams part gets changed and has to be used. regarding bay leaf, i have not used it in the recipe. hope this helps.
Yogita says
In the serving if I change to 500 gm then it gives proper changes but at last small mistake it shows yields 100 gm masala make it correct.
Reshu says
I can’t find a nice Pav bhaji masala please help me I bye from shop it’s no nice
dassana amit says
this recipe is a very good recipe of pav bhaji masala. so you can try making this one.
prasanna says
Shall v keep it in sun for 2-3 days or can v fry those in dry kadai
dassana amit says
prasanna, you can do either. both method will work.
Ruchi says
This recipe is a keeper. It turned out much better than the store brought one. Thank you for sharing it.
dassana amit says
thank you ruchi ?
Yogita says
Hi mam I like the pavbhaji masala it is superb.want ask u one thing that if I add some Curry leaves to above masala will it turns to be good.please answer
dassana amit says
Thanks Yogita. I won’t suggest to add curry leaves. The flavor will change completely.
Meveera says
Hi! I’ve tried this masala and it is awesome.Phenomenal! Like you said,the pav bhaji got even better,just like the one served here in Mumbai.Thank you so much for sharing the recipe.Must try for all pav bhaji lovers out there.
dassana amit says
thanks a lot meveera for this awesome feedback. happy to know.
suvidha shelar says
as u mention in ur pav bhaji recipe that we hav to add 2-3tbsp of masala,but if I use homemade masala,then same quantity I hav to use….
dassana amit says
no suvidha. homemade masalas are more strong and intensely aromatic than store brought ones. just add about 2 to 3 teaspoons for 4 to 5 servings.
IR says
I love your blog =). Thank you for this recipe!
dassana amit says
welcome isareyes 🙂 thankyou.
Puja Darshan says
Wow!!! homemade pav bhaji masala is just awesome. I need to try this soon.
Not just happiness, health is also homemade.. 🙂 Lovely sharing.
dassana amit says
thanks puja
Anusha says
In the ingredient list you have mentioned coriander as methi, may be it was a miss…
dassana amit says
where anusha. i cannot see it in the ingredient list as well in the post. let me know.
varun bhardwaj says
third line in ingredients – coriander seeds / methi dana.
dassana amit says
got it. thanks varun. corrected.