Name: Maharashtrian Papdi Chi Bhaji
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Fava Beans, stringed and broken into pieces; ½ Onion, finely chopped; 2½ Garlic, crushed cloves; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ½ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ¾ tsp Goda Masala, authentic Maharashtrian spice blend; ¼ tsp Jaggery, balances the slight bitterness of the beans; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil; ¼ cup Water; ½ tsp Salt; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped for garnish

30 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Heat oil in a kadhai or pan. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
Add crushed garlic and sauté for a few seconds until golden and aromatic.
Add the finely chopped onion and fry until it turns translucent.
Stir in turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and Goda Masala. Sauté the spices quickly for 10 seconds.
10 sec
Add the prepped broad beans (papdi) and mix thoroughly to coat them in the masala.
Pour in the measured water, then add the salt and jaggery. Mix well.
Cover the pan with a lid and cook on low-medium heat for 12-15 minutes until the beans are tender but not mushy.
12–15 min
Turn off the heat, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

Tender-crisp green flat beans coated in a slightly moist, spiced onion-garlic masala.

Getting it right

Tip

Adding a tiny piece of jaggery is a classic Maharashtrian technique that elevates the earthy flavors of the green beans without making it a sweet dish.

What to serve it with

Perfect for a simple daily lunch along with hot Chapatis and a bowl of yellow Varan (Dal).

Common mistakes

The beans are tough or the skins are leathery.: Slit the pods and take out the tough string, and use young papdi. Older beans need their skins slipped off after cooking, which is fiddly but the only way to avoid a chewy dish.
The goda masala tastes raw and dusty.: Fry it in the oil for ten seconds before the beans go in, exactly as the steps say. It is a blend of roasted spices, and dropped into liquid without that moment in hot oil it stays powdery.

Substitutions

Frozen broad beans work when fresh papdi is out of season — thaw and reduce the covered cooking by a few minutes. Goda masala is the Maharashtrian signature here; garam masala is the nearest stand-in, though it is sharper and sweeter in a different way. Jaggery can be swapped for sugar.

Storing and reheating

Keeps three days in the fridge and the masala settles nicely overnight. Reheat with a splash of water. It freezes for two months, though the beans soften.

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Ingredients