Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread (vegetarian)

Name: Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 23 min
Total time: 43 min
Ingredients: 1/2 tbsp oil; 2 tbsp butter; 1/2 inch ginger (chopped); 3 cloves garlic (chopped); 3 green chilies (chopped, use 2 for less heat, you can add more too); 1 medium onion (chopped); 1 green bell pepper (chopped); 2 plum tomatoes (chopped); 1 1/2 tbsp pav bhaji masala; 1/4 turmeric powder; 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika); 1/2 cup water; 3 ounces cream cheese (room temperature); 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala (add at the end); 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped); 2 tbsp unsalted butter melted; 1 tsp pav bhaji masala; 2 cloves garlic (chopped); 1 French loaf bread (split in half, Italian loaf works too); spread masala on both sides; 2 cups of Mexican blend shredded cheese (1 cup on each side); red onion (chopped); fresh cilantro (chopped); squeeze of lemon juice

Jump to Recipe

Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread is a blend of vegetables cooked in a tomato butter gravy and topped over a loaf of bread with loads of cheese.

I am obsessed with Pav Bhaji. It is my favorite item to order at Indian fast food. To date, the best Pav Bhaji I've had is Khasiyat Restaurant in Oat Tree Road, NJ. The Pav Bhaji at Khasiyat is a bowl of mashed veggies and buttery goodness, it's just insanely good.

What is Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread?

Pav translates to bread, while bhaji is a vegetable mix. So essentially this dish is sauteed mixed vegetables served with a side of buttered buns.

Traditionally, Pav Bhaji is a Maharashtrian dish, however this dish is now widely popular all over India. You can easily find Pav Bhaji on the streets of India in any major city.

So now this brings us to, what is Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread? Well, it's traditional buttery garlic bread that's topped off with cheese, however in between, we add the pav bhaji masala which adds depth of flavor.

This cheesy garlic bread is so outrageously delicious, you won't be able to stop eating it.

Ingredients for Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread

Loaf of Bread: I highly recommend using a French or Italian loaf of bread. Just make sure the bread is not too soft or too hard.

Why You'll Love Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread

Scrumptious
Mouthwatering
A Crowdpleaser
Cheesy
Creamy
Spicy
Vegetarian

How to make Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread recipe step by step?

Prep

1. Begin by chopping ginger, garlic, green chilies, onions, green bell peppers, and tomatoes.

Make Pav Bhaji Masala

1. Heat up a dutch oven enameled castiron on low-medium heat, once hot, add ½ tablespoon of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter.
2. Once the butter melts, add ginger, garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
3. Add onions and season with a little salt. Increase heat to medium. Stir and saute until caramelized, about 3-4 minutes.
4. This is how the onions should look.

5. Now add the green bell pepper. Season with a little salt. Stir and cook for 4 minutes.
6. Add the tomatoes and season with a little salt. Cook the tomatoes down for about 3-4 minutes.
7. Now add your spices - turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder (or paprika), and 1 ½ tablespoon of pav bhaji masala. Stir.
8. Add ½ cup water. Stir and cook down for 2 minutes.

9. Now add cream cheese. Stir until the masala is creamy. This will take about 3 minutes.
10. Add ½ teaspoon of pav bhaji masala.
11. Add fresh cilantro.
12. Stir to combine. Turn off the stove.

Prepare the Tadka

1. Heat up a small tempering pan on low-medium heat. Once hot, add butter.
2. Once the butter melts and sizzles, add 2 cloves of fresh garlic and pav bhaji masala. Cook for about 30 seconds.
3. Stir and this is what you'll have. Turn off the stove.

Assemble

1. Take a loaf of French bread.
2. Remove the extra bread from the inside - this way we can stuff the bread with the masala.
3. Generously spread the masala all over the bread.
4. Top with Mexican blend cheese. Place in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Bake a little longer if you need to, but don't overbake.
5. Your Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread is ready.

Garnish

1. Garnish with red onions, chopped cilantro, and lemon juice. Enjoy!

Tips on making Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread:

Chop all the veggies. Do the prep work ahead of time.
Make the Pav Bhaji Masala.
Prepare the Tadka (tempering of spices).
Brush the French loaf with the tadka and then spread the masala. Top with cheese.
Bake and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

Just like you would with traditional pav bhaji, garnish the garlic bread with chopped red onion, and cilantro with a squeeze of lemon juice. It's delicious and adds so much flavor.

You don't need any sauces and dips for this dish as it's already creamy enough, but if you'd like, you can always serve your garlic bread with some achaar.

Storage - Freezing Garlic Bread

I actually froze some of my Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread for Super Bowl Sunday. Just wrap the garlic bread in foil and freeze it. When it's time to reheat, simply reheat in the oven or toaster oven at 350 degrees until hot. It's delicious and no one will know.

FAQ

1. Can I make this recipe vegan?

There is too much dairy in this dish to go vegan, but if you want to, opt for vegan butter, cream cheese, and Mexican blend cheese.

2. Can I make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes! Simply replace the French loaf with a gluten-free loaf.

3. What kind of bread should I use for this recipe?

I would recommend using an Italian or French bread loaf. I found the Italian loaf to be too soft, hence I went for the French loaf which can easily be found at any major grocery store - check the fresh bakery section.

Additionally, I would not use sourdough or ciabatta bread for this recipe.

4. Is the Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread too spicy?

2 green chilies or 3 green chilies or 4 green chilies.

This recipe calls for 3 green chilies. I made this recipe with 2 green chilies and my husband was able to handle it.

I personally enjoyed my garlic bread with 3 green chilies because I like my food spicy.

If you enjoy super spicy food, then go ahead and add 4 green chilies to this recipe. There is some cream cheese and a good amount of cheese which offsets some of the spice.

5. Which Pav Bhaji Masala should I use?

For this recipe, I used Roopak Pav Bhaji Masala. You may also use Everest, MDH, or Badshah - they're all good. You can purchase the masala from your local Indian grocery store or Amazon.

Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread (vegetarian)

What is Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread?

Ingredients for Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread

Why You'll Love Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread

How to make Pav Bhaji Garlic Bread recipe step by step?