Doodh Waali Sev Bhaaji is a regional twist on the classic dhaba‑style sev bhaji, originating from the Khalsa Punjab Dhaba in Nashik. Adding milk creates a rich, creamy gravy that reflects Punjabi comfort food traditions, where dairy is often used to enrich gravies.

Traditional Khandeshi and Kathiyawadi sev bhaji are usually cooked with a tomato‑onion base and served dry. The Doodh Waali version incorporates a cashew‑based milk gravy, making it thicker, creamier, and richer, while still retaining the crunchy sev topping.

Authentic ingredients include whole milk, cashews, thick sev, cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and kasuri methi. Substitutes can be peanuts for cashews, almond milk for dairy, and paprika mixed with cayenne for Kashmiri chili.

While not tied to a specific festival, Doodh Waali Sev Bhaaji is a popular comfort dish served at family gatherings, roadside dhaba meals, and monsoon evenings when a warm, hearty curry is desired.

It pairs beautifully with tandoori roti, butter naan, paratha, or plain steamed basmati rice. A side of fresh cucumber raita or pickled onions balances the richness.

Common errors include over‑cooking the onions until they brown, not letting the oil separate after adding spices, adding too much milk causing a thin gravy, and mixing sev too early which makes it soggy.

Cashew paste provides a natural, nutty thickness that mimics the richness of cream while keeping the dish dairy‑light and authentic to Punjabi home cooking, where cashews are a traditional thickening agent.

Yes. Store the cooked gravy (without sev) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently, add a splash of milk if needed, and stir in fresh sev just before serving.

The gravy should be thick, glossy, and slightly orange‑yellow from the turmeric and Kashmiri chili. Oil should surface, indicating the spices are cooked. The sev added at the end should remain crunchy and lightly coated.

When the oil separates cleanly from the masala after adding the cashew paste and again after the milk boils, and the gravy has reached a thick but pourable consistency, the dish is ready. A final taste for salt confirms completion.

The YouTube channel Your Food Lab focuses on exploring unique regional Indian recipes, especially dhaba‑style and street‑food classics, and presents them with clear step‑by‑step tutorials for home cooks.

Your Food Lab emphasizes lesser‑known regional variations, uses modern kitchen tools like choppers for efficiency, and provides detailed cultural context, whereas many channels stick to mainstream recipes without deep regional insight.