Masala Pav is a popular Mumbai street food made using a pav (dinner rolls) slathered in butter and spicy bhaji (curry). Its served warm and soft topped with some onions and cilantro. Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders is my take on this classic Mumbai street food.
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Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders is a garlic, cheese and pav bhaji lovers delight and a great party appetizer. Its made with pav (dinner rolls) slathered in garlic butter and stuffed with spicy bhaji and cheese. Its then baked till cheese is all melted and served warm and soft topped with some onions and cilantro.
If you have been to Mumbai, you probably have tasted Pav Bhaji, Tawa Pulav and their cousin or sibling "Masala Pav". 2 years of my junior college life I have eaten masala pav pretty much everyday with my friends at our favorite restaurant just outside of my college.
Traditional way of making Masala Pav
Traditionally Masala pav is made on a large griddle (called Tava) that has the spicy bhaji arranged around the corners. Using two pav at a time (thats the serving size usually), the street vendor will take some portion of the bhaji and add a big scoop of butter and slather the pav in it along with some bhaji which he will also stuff inside the pav. This makes the pav absorb all the flavors and become soft and delicious ????. It's then served topped with onions, cilantro and sometimes sev.
My take is more from a perspective to feed a crowd while easy to make. I wanted to bring masala pav to a potluck so the lazy me thought of putting together the dish in bulk and that's when I thought of the slider idea. Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav has all the goodness of the masala pav in addition to cheese and a wash made with butter, garlic that takes this recipe to the next level.
Ingredients for Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders
- Pav (dinner rolls) - you can either make Ladi Pav at home or use the store bought dinner rolls that are not very sweet(equal or less than 2%sugar). I've used the Sam's club dinner rolls for this recipe.
- Spicy Bhaji - This is dry curry made with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers and spiced with some pav bhaji masala and red chilli powder. This is a khada bhaji i.e. its not very mashed like the pav bhaji is and still has some texture to it like you can get a bite of the onions or bell peppers. Can be made on stove top or InstantPot.
- Cheese - I've used shredded pepper jack for this recipe that has jalapeños just to make it a little more spicy but you can use any cheese of choice like mozzarella would work great too. You can also do cheese slices if you want.
- Garlic Butter - This is the goodness that makes this recipe even more delish. Its melted butter with garlic, pav bhaji masala, salt and cilantro. This goes over the top of the pav and smells heavenly after baking.
Step by step method:
For making the Spicy Bhaji Masala (Stove Top):
In a pan/skillet, heat butter and once it starts to melt, add the cumin seeds and wait till they splutter. Then add the onions and cook until translucent on which add the minced garlic and cook until the raw smell disappears.
Stir in the bell pepper, tomatoes, add salt, pepper. Mix, cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Then add the tomato paste, red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala and cook for another minute or so or until most of the moisture has dried off. We don't want the masala to be too wet. Finish off with squeeze of lemon juice, chaat masala and cilantro. This masala can be made a day or two in advance and stored in airtight container in refrigerator or can even be frozen.
For Making the Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders:
Slice the ladi pav (12 dinner rolls) lengthwise half way across using a serrated knife. Take a baking dish and grease it with some butter or if using a baking tray, line it with parchment paper. Place the bottom half of the dinner rolls on the prepared dish/tray and apply butter followed by an even sprinkle of pav bhaji masala.
Layer on half of the cheese evenly on the dinner rolls, followed by spread the masala, chopped red onions and cilantro. Top it off with remaining cheese.
Apply butter followed by an even sprinkle of pav bhaji masala for the top half of the dinner rolls and place on top of cheese to close. Make the garlic butter by melting the butter in microwave for 20 seconds or until melted. And to it add the minced garlic, pinch of salt, cilantro and some pav bhaji masala. Apply it on the top of each roll and spread evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20-25 mins or until the cheese had melted. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-7 mins uncovered.
Remove from the oven and cut into squares along the pav lines using a sharp serrated knife and serve topped with some onions, cilantro and Sev (optional). Enjoy!!
More Street Food Recipes:
Hope you enjoy this Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you ❤️ Please let us know your rating ⭐️and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!
Recipe Card
Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pack dinner rolls/ pavs 12 count
- 4 oz salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala store-bought
- 8 oz shredded pepper jack monterey jack cheese with jalapeños peppers (or mozarella or any cheese of choice)
- 2 tablespoon red onions chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
For Garlic Butter
- 4 oz salted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala store-bought
- 1 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- pinch of salt optional and to taste
For Bhaji Masala
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds zeera
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 bell pepper chopped, using half green and half red
- 3 roma tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon pav bhaji masala
- ¼ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ teaspoon chaat masala optional
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon lemon juice or to taste
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Instructions
For making the Spicy Bhaji (Masala) -Stove Top Method:
- In a pan/skillet or dutch oven, heat butter and once it starts to melt, add the cumin seeds and wait till they splutter.
- Then add the onions and cook until translucent on which add the minced garlic and cook until the raw smell disappears.
- Stir in the bell pepper, tomatoes, add salt, pepper. Mix, cover and cook until the tomatoes are soft. Then add the tomato paste, red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala and cook for another minute or so or until most of the moisture has dried off. We don’t want the masala to be too wet.
- Finish off with squeeze of lemon juice, chaat masala and cilantro. This masala can be made a day or two in advance and stored in airtight container in refrigerator or can even be frozen.
For making the Spicy Bhaji (Masala) -Instant Pot Method:
- Start the Instant Pot on saute mode and once hot add butter.
- To the melted butter and cumin seeds and minced garlic and cook for a few seconds (without burning garlic).
- Immediately add in the onions, bell pepper, tomatoes, tomato paste, all spices - salt, pepper, red chilli powder and pav bhaji masala with ¼ cup of of water. Mix well.
- Cancel saute mode and close the instant pot lid with vent to sealing for 2 min followed by quick release when done.
- Start the Instant pot back on saute mode and dry out any moisture if any left (about 5 mins or less). We don’t want the masala to be too wet.
- Finish off with squeeze of lemon juice, chaat masala and cilantro. This masala can be made a day or two in advance and stored in airtight container in refrigerator or can even be frozen.
For Making the Cheesy Garlic Masala Pav Sliders:
- Slice the ladi pav (12 dinner rolls) lengthwise half way across using a serrated knife. Take a baking dish and grease it with some butter or if using a baking tray line it with parchment paper.
- Place the bottom half of the dinner rolls on the prepared dish/tray and apply butter followed by an even sprinkle of pav bhaji masala.
- Layer on half of the cheese evenly on the dinner rolls, followed spicy bhaji masala, chopped red onions and cilantro. Top it off with remaining cheese.
- Apply butter followed by an even sprinkle of pav bhaji masala for the top half of the dinner rolls and place on top of cheese to close.
- Make the garlic butter by melting the butter in microwave for 20 seconds or until melted. And to it add the minced garlic, pinch of salt, cilantro and some pav bhaji masala.
- Apply garlic butter on the top of each roll and spread evenly.
- Cover with aluminum foil and Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20-25 mins or until the cheese had melted. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-7 mins uncovered.
- Remove from the oven and cut into squares (using sharp serrated knife) along the pav lines and serve warm topped with some onions, cilantro.
Notes
- If you are bringing this dish to a potluck or party, you can bake this and take it to the venue and then reheat them in the oven or microwave for 5-7 mins uncovered just before serving.
Happy Cooking!!
Shweta
Shilpa says
Any particular reason for skipping potatoes since it’s one of the most important ingredients in the bhaji?
Shweta Arora says
This is masala pav recipe (with a twist), which is another street food like pav bhaji. Pav bhaji typically has potatoes in the bhaji but not masala pav. Hope that clarifies.
Anji says
Excellent recipe! Clearly explained. The only change I made was to use Hamburger buns, since I didn’t have Ladi Pao at home.
Shweta Arora says
Thank you so much Anjali! Ham burger buns are a great substitute for pav.Glad you liked it!!
Surekha says
Looks super yum! Will definitely make!
Do we have to do the garlic butter and garnish on top?
Shweta Arora says
Thanks Surekha! I would highly recommend the garlic butter but for any reasons if you dont want to then feel free to skip or suggest you brush the pav with some butter to keep them moist and soft.