Sev Bhaji is a classic street‑food staple served at roadside dhabas across North India. It combines a rich, buttery tomato‑onion gravy with crunchy sev, offering a comforting balance of textures that travelers enjoy with roti or rice. Historically, dhabas created this dish to provide a quick, hearty vegetarian option using pantry staples like besan and sev.

In Punjab, the gravy is richer with extra ghee and often includes kasuri methi, while in Rajasthan a drier version with more roasted spices is common. Some regions add yogurt for tang, and in Gujarat a sweeter version with a hint of jaggery is popular. The core concept—sev in a tomato‑onion gravy—remains the same.

It is typically served hot in a shallow metal bowl, garnished with fresh cilantro and a handful of extra sev on top. Diners scoop it with roti, paratha, or naan, and sometimes enjoy it alongside a side of pickles or a bowl of plain yogurt to balance the spice.

Sev Bhaji is a popular everyday lunch or dinner dish, but it also appears at informal gatherings, roadside picnics, and during festivals like Holi where quick, crowd‑pleasing vegetarian dishes are needed.

The dish’s signature is the contrast between a silky, spiced gravy and the crunchy, absorbent sev. The addition of besan and a touch of cream gives it a luxurious mouthfeel that is rarely found in other street‑food gravies, making it a beloved comfort food.

Common errors include over‑cooking the onions without sugar, which leads to bitterness; not roasting the besan, resulting in a raw flour taste; and adding sev too early, which makes it soggy. Follow the timing steps and add sev at the end for optimal texture.

Ghee provides a rich, nutty flavor while oil raises the smoke point, preventing the ghee from burning on high heat. This combination gives the gravy a deep dhaba‑style taste without a burnt aftertaste.

Yes. Prepare the gravy up to step 11, let it cool, and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat, finish with cream, ghee, and fresh sev just before serving for the best texture.

The gravy should be smooth, glossy, and slightly thick with a deep reddish‑orange hue. Oil should visibly separate on the surface, indicating the spices are fully cooked. The sev added at the end should be just softened, not mushy.

When the tomato base releases oil, the spices are fragrant, and the gravy has a thick but pourable consistency, the dish is ready. A final taste check for balanced salt, acidity, and spice confirms readiness.

The YouTube channel Anukriti Cooking Recipes focuses on easy-to‑follow Indian home‑cooking tutorials, especially vegetarian comfort foods and street‑food classics, with step‑by‑step guidance for beginners and intermediate cooks.

Anukriti Cooking Recipes emphasizes recreating authentic dhaba and street‑food flavors at home using readily available ingredients, while many other channels focus on restaurant‑style plating or elaborate regional specialties. Her videos are concise, budget‑friendly, and highlight practical kitchen hacks.