Pav bhaji is Mumbai street food at its most direct. A heavily spiced mash of vegetables, a great deal of butter, and a soft bread roll to push it around with.

The masala is what makes it pav bhaji rather than a plate of mashed vegetables.

Boil potato, cauliflower, peas and capsicum, mash them roughly, then cook them down with onion, tomato, the masala and more butter than feels reasonable. Toast the pav in butter. Serve with raw onion and lemon.

On the spice shelf at Curry Corner, North Melbourne.