This spicy cheesy Pav Bhaji Fondue is a crowd-pleasing appetizer for every party, date night, or special occasion. This easy Indian fusion recipe will leave you asking for more! Learn to make it with or without a fondue pot. Vegetarian & gluten-free.
We all love Pav Bhaji!!! Don’t we? This fondue dip recipe is a unique way to enjoy the flavor of Bhaji in a new avatar. I like to make it with leftover bhaji. You can make a small batch of bhaji just to make this cheese fondue. In this post, I am showing you how to make this spicy cheesy fondue at home in the simplest way.
Jump to:
- The ingredient list.
- How to make Pav Bhaji Fondue?
- Reasons to make it on a stove-top.
- Make Fondue without a fondue pot.
- Make ahead-of-time tips.
- Easy party dips to try!
- Pav Bhaji Fondue
- Important tips to consider.
- Possible substitutes
- Best way to serve pav Bhaji Fondue.
- Make Fondue without a fondue pot.
- Make ahead-of-time tips.
- Storing Leftovers.
The ingredient list.
The ingredient list is super simple. You just need 5 simple ingredients to make this desi fondue. It is made without using any alcohol.
Bhaji – The star of this recipe is “Pav Bhaji”. You can either use leftover ones or make a small batch. But duh!!!! who makes a small batch:)
Milk -2% or whole milk works well here.
Cheese – I have used Indian cheese i.e Amul processed cheese. You can use any cheese that melts well.
Heavy Cream – For richness to the fondue as well as to avoid milk splitting after adding the tomato-based bhaji.
Cornstarch – Also known as white cornflour. It is a critical ingredient that I have used to stabilize the milk to prevent it from curdling later on.
Spices – Salt is all you need in this recipe. If your bhaji isn’t super spicy then you will have to add 1-2 teaspoons of red chili powder as well as pav bhaji masala to get maximum flavor.
How to make Pav Bhaji Fondue?
For preparing the pav.
Slit the pav and smear some butter on both sides, sprinkle pav bhaji masala if desired, and cook it on the skillet until little crisp.
Cut the pav bun into 4 pieces with scissors. Each pav should yield 8 pieces. (4 for the top and 4 for the bottom slice.)
Keep in an airtight container until use.
For making the fondue.
- Heat up butter in a pot. Add in the cornstarch and whisk well for 20 seconds.
- Slowly add in the milk while whisking it continuously. Add in the cream. Whisk until lump-free and cover the pot with a lid. Uncover occasionally to check if it has come to a boil.
- Now at the lowest heat add in the cheese little by little until it’s melted completely.
- Add the salt and the bhaji. Whisk constantly on low heat until combined. At this point, you can taste the dip. If the spice level seems less, add in the red chili powder and pav bhaji masala at this point. Cook it for a minute stirring well.
- Switch off the flame and run an immersion blender for a silky smooth fondue dip.
- Enjoy it straight out of the pot if you don’t have a fondue pot. Or transfer it into a fondue pot and set it to warm only setting. Fondue tastes the best when served hot.
Reasons to make it on a stove-top.
- If it were a simple cheese fondue, I make it directly in my fondue pot.
- As I have to stabilize the milk with cornstarch o that the fondue doesn’t split after adding bhaji, I opted to cook it in a pot on the gas.
- It makes it easier to make a big batch and then refill the fondue pot as needed.
Make Fondue without a fondue pot.
- You can enjoy it warm straight out of the cooking pot.
- Or transfer it into an appropriate bake-safe glass or ceramic casserole and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 deg F just before serving.
- If metal skewers are unavailable, use wooden skewers or picks.
Make ahead-of-time tips.
- Yes, you can make this fondue dip up to 3 days ahead of time.
- Make it, cool it, and store it in the fridge.
- Note that the dip will thicken considerably, so you will have to rehydrate by adding some water or milk to get a thick pourable consistency.
KEEP IN TOUCH – Are we friends yet? Let’s connect on Facebook| Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter. Never miss a recipe. Please subscribe to my blog. It is free! Check out easy recipe videos on my YouTube channel now! Pin this photo for future reference.
Easy party dips to try!
Jalapeno Spinach Cream Cheese Dip
Pav Bhaji Fondue
Ingredients
For Pav
- 14-18 pav buns
- Butter to cook
- Pav bhaji masala optional
For making the fondue.
- 1.5 cup Prepared spicy bhaji see notes
- 1½ tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup cream
- 2½ cups grated melting cheese see notes
- Salt to taste
- A few tablespoons of water add only if the dip is too thick.
- To add if the bhaji isn’t spicy to start with.
- 2 teaspoon red chili powder if needed.
- 1-2 teaspoon pav bhaji masala only if needed.
Instructions
For preparing the pav
- Slit the pav and smear some butter on both sides, sprinkle pav bhaji masala if desired, and cook it on the skillet until little crisp.
- Cut the pav bun into 4 pieces with scissors. Each pav should yield 8 pieces. (4 for the top and 4 for the bottom slice.)
- Keep in an airtight container until use.
Make the fondue.
- Heat up butter in a pot. Add in the cornstarch and whisk well for 20 seconds.
- Slowly add in the milk while whisking it continuously. Add in the cream.
- Whisk until lump-free and cover the pot with a lid. Uncover occasionally to check if it has come to a boil.
- Now at the lowest heat add in the cheese little by little until it’s melted completely.
- Now at the same low heat add the salt and the bhaji. Whisk constantly on low heat until combined.
- At this point, you can taste the dip. If the spice level seems less, add in the red chili powder and pav bhaji masala at this point.
- Cook it for a minute stirring well.
- Switch off the flame and run an immersion blender for a silky smooth fondue dip.
- Enjoy it straight out of the pot if you don’t have a fondue pot.
- Or transfer it into a fondue pot and set it to warm only setting.
- Fondue tastes the best when served hot.
Step by Step video of the recipe –
Notes
Important tips to consider.
- Start with super spicy and tangy bhaji as the flavor will balance when you add other ingredients.
- If bhaji isn’t spicy to start with, you can add spices while making the fondue. Cornstarch or white corn flour is critical for this recipe to stabilize the milk.
- This is done to avoid the milk to split after adding the bhaji.
- Heavy cream adds richness as well as helps to keep the milk from curdling.
- The fondue will thicken up considerably as it cools.
- If you are making it ahead of time then you can adjust the consistency of the fondue by adding little water.
Possible substitutes
- I have to use Amul, Indian processed cheese.
- You can use any good melting cheese in this recipe.
- Make sure you don’t use the pre-grated one. Grate it fresh from a block.
- Use fluffy buns or pav.
Best way to serve pav Bhaji Fondue.
Toasted masala pav is enough but you can enjoy scooping it with Potato chips, tortilla chips, carrots, papdi, and steamed cauliflower.Make Fondue without a fondue pot.
- You can enjoy it warm straight out of the cooking pot.
- Or transfer it into an appropriate bake-safe glass or ceramic casserole and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 deg F just before serving.
- If metal skewers are unavailable, use wooden skewers or picks.
Make ahead-of-time tips.
- Yes, you can make this fondue dip up to 3 days ahead of time.
- Make it, cool it, and store it in the fridge.
- Note that the dip will thicken considerably, so you will have to rehydrate by adding some water or milk to get a thick pourable consistency.
Storing Leftovers.
- Leftover fondue can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- I do not reccommend freezing it.
- You can toss your favorite pasta to use up the sauce.
comments and suggestions are welcome