Pav Bhaji Masala substitute

Substitutes for Pav Bhaji Masala with ratios

1. 2Garam masala and chaat masala, half and half

   Close match

   Per 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala: 1 ½ tsp garam masala + 1 ½ tsp chaat masala; reduce the recipe's salt by about ½ tsp

   Two common jars that between them cover almost everything pav bhaji masala contains.

   What changes

   Best for

   the fastest genuinely good substitute, pav bhaji and masala pav, vegetable sandwiches and toasties, cooks who already keep both jars

   This is the swap most people ask about and the answer is yes, it works well. Chaat masala brings the amchur, black salt and cumin, and garam masala brings the warm cinnamon-clove-cardamom base, which is essentially the whole blend. The two cautions are salt and sulphur: chaat masala is heavily salted and its black salt has a distinctly eggy smell, so cut the recipe's salt and add the chaat masala near the end of cooking rather than at the start, where prolonged boiling makes that note more obvious.

2. 3Homemade pav bhaji masala from whole spices

   Close match

   2 tbsp coriander seeds + 1 tbsp cumin seeds + 1 tsp fennel seeds + 6 dried Kashmiri chillies + 1 tsp black peppercorns + 1-inch cinnamon + 4 cloves + 3 green cardamom + 1 tsp amchur + ½ tsp black salt + ½ tsp turmeric; dry-roast, grind, use 1:1

   The blend made properly, which takes about ten minutes and keeps for months.

   What changes

   Best for

   making pav bhaji regularly, controlling the heat and salt yourself, the strongest, freshest aroma, tawa pulao, masala pav and vada pav chutney

   Better than any packet, and the difference is obvious in the first mouthful, because commercial blends are padded with salt and stale ground coriander. Dry-roast the whole spices and chillies separately over low heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes, cool completely, then grind with the amchur, black salt and turmeric stirred in afterwards so they do not scorch. Kashmiri chillies are essential for the colour; using hot chillies instead gives a duller red and much more heat. Keeps about three months in a sealed jar.

3. 4Garam masala on its own, with lemon added at the end

   Different taste

   Use the same amount plus ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder per tablespoon and a good squeeze of lemon juice stirred in at the end

   The single-jar answer, which covers the warm spices but none of the tang.

   What changes

   Best for

   weeknight pav bhaji, when garam masala is the only Indian blend you own, vegetable curries and mashed potato dishes, cooking for people who dislike sour flavours

   Perfectly edible and quite good, but you will taste the gap if you know the dish. Garam masala has no amchur and no black salt, so the bhaji comes out rounder, warmer and slightly sweet, missing the mouth-watering tang that makes street pav bhaji so addictive. The lemon at the end is not optional in this version; it is the entire correction. Garam masala also has no chilli, so without the added Kashmiri chilli the bhaji looks brown rather than red.

4. 5Kitchen King masala or all-purpose sabzi masala

   Close match

   Use the same amount plus ½ tsp amchur or a squeeze of lemon per tablespoon

   Indian all-purpose vegetable-curry blends that share most of pav bhaji masala's spices.

   What changes

   Best for

   pav bhaji at short notice, mixed vegetable curries, cooks with an Indian grocery cupboard, tawa pulao

   Genuinely close, since these blends already combine coriander, cumin, chilli, fennel, cinnamon and clove for exactly this kind of dish. Most contain some amchur too, though usually less than pav bhaji masala, hence the top-up. The likeliest difference is that all-purpose blends are milder and sometimes include dried fenugreek leaf, which adds a pleasant slightly bitter note that is not traditional here but is far from unwelcome. Taste and add Kashmiri chilli if the colour looks pale.

5. 6Curry powder plus lemon

   Different taste

   Use ¾ of the amount called for, plus ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder and a good squeeze of lemon for every tablespoon of pav bhaji masala

   The least-bad option outside an Indian pantry, with real limitations.

   What changes

   Best for

   cooking abroad with limited spices, when nothing else is available, mild versions for children, vegetable mashes generally

   This makes a tasty spiced vegetable mash, but it is not pav bhaji. Curry powder is turmeric- and fenugreek-led, so the bhaji comes out mustard yellow instead of red and tastes earthy and slightly bitter rather than warm and tangy. Using three quarters of the amount stops the turmeric dominating. If you can add even 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cloves along with the chilli and lemon, it moves noticeably closer.