Pav Bhaji Dip
Spicy & Creamy Pav Bhaji Dip is made with bell peppers, green peas, cream cheese, sour cream, and cheese. This quick & easy dip is a party in your mouth with all those traditional pav bhaji flavors with a modern twist. A holiday & party favorite!
Servings: 16 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
for dip
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ inch ginger chopped
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 3/4 cup green bell pepper chopped
- 3/4 cup red bell pepper chopped
- salt to taste
- 2 cups tomatoes chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3/4 cup frozen peas rinsed under hot water & drained
- 1/4 cup pav bhaji masala
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 cups Mexican cheese blend divided (1 cup for creamy mix / 1 cup on top)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
for garnish
- fresh pomegranate optional
- chopped cilantro
Instructions
Prep
- Chop green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions, green bell peppers, and red bell peppers. Set aside.
- Chop tomatoes and set aside.
- Chop cilantro. Run frozen peas under warm water, drain, and set aside.
Make the Pav Bhaji Dip
- Heat up a pan on medium heat, and add butter and oil.
- Once the butter melts, add green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Cook for a minute.
- Add onions and season with salt. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add red and green bell peppers. Season with a little salt. Cook for about 7-8 minutes.
- This is what you should have once the bell peppers are cooked.
- Add the tomatoes. Season with a little salt and stir.
- Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on low heat.
- Add tomato paste. Stir.
- Add pav bhaji masala and peas. Stir.
- Add cream cheese and sour cream.
- Stir. This is what you should have.
- Add fresh cilantro.
- Add 1 cup of Mexican shredded cheese.
- Mix and this mixture should be cheesy, but not runny.
- Now add milk, a little at a time while continuously mixing. Do not add the milk all at once else your creamy mixture may curdle.
- Add red chili powder.
- Now your mixture should be slightly runny. This is what we want.
Bake Dip
- Pour the dip into a baking dish.
- Top with another cup of cheese.
- Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for 5 minutes uncovered. Then broil for 1-2 minutes until the cheese is slightly golden.
- This is what you should have. Garnish with fresh cilantro and pomegranate. Wait about 10-15 minutes before serving so your dip can settle.
Notes
This recipe was first published on November 14, 2022, and has been updated and republished since.
- Prep before Cooking - Gather all your ingredients and chop everything ahead of time. You won't have much time in between steps to chop.
- Overcook - Do not overcook the onions and bell peppers. We don't want to brown the veggies, they should just be translucent golden.
- Temper Milk - Add the milk little by little to the creamy hot mixture else your cheesy mixture will curdle.
- Wait before Serving - Wait about 10-15 minutes before serving the dip. The dip should settle after coming out of the oven. If you serve too quickly, the dip may be runny.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1004IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 0.4mg