4 tbsp butter, divided (do not skimp here — the butter is not optional, it is the point)
1 tbsp neutral oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 green chili, minced
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
3 ripe tomatoes, pureed
1 tbsp LXV Mummiji Spice Blend, plus more to taste
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder, for color more than heat
1/2 tsp turmeric
Fine sea salt, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
4-6 pav (soft dinner rolls), split and buttered
Raw onion, finely chopped, and lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Boil the cauliflower, potatoes, carrots and peas together until fully tender, then mash coarsely with a potato masher — leave it a little rough, not baby food. This is the base of the dish; everything after this is about building flavor into it.
Warm the oil and 2 tbsp of the butter in a wide, heavy pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle a few seconds — this is the foundation every good bhaji is built on.
Add the onion and cook 6-8 minutes until it goes properly golden, not just soft. The color is where the flavor lives; a pale onion makes a flat bhaji.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and green chili and fry 1 minute until it stops smelling raw. Add the bell pepper and cook 2-3 minutes more.
Add the tomato puree, Mummiji, Kashmiri chili powder and turmeric. Cook this down 8-10 minutes, stirring often, until the butter separates from the masala and it turns a deep brick-red. Rushing this step is the one mistake that flattens the whole dish — do not move on early.
Fold in the mashed vegetables along with 1/2 to 1 cup of water, enough to loosen the mixture to a thick, spoonable consistency. Simmer 10-15 minutes, mashing further as you go and adding more Mummiji or salt to taste.
Finish with the lemon juice and the remaining 2 tbsp butter melted on top. Scatter with cilantro and raw onion.
Serve hot with pav griddled in butter until blistered at the edges, extra lemon on the side.