Take a stroll in the busy Colaba market or head to Juhu chowpatty in the evening, there is one thing that you would constantly find in Mumbai apart from a lot of people on the streets. It’s none other than pav. The soft, small buns find a place everywhere in the City of dreams, be it a compact food stall or a big fancy restaurant in Bandra. Pav is like the life of the city, giving it the fuel to run day in and day out. You would find people biting into a humble bun maska as their on-the-go breakfast in the morning and dipping the same pav in a buttery bhaji at a local eatery during lunch time. That’s the fanfare that pav enjoys in this busy and crowded city. A quick solution to an evening hunger pang and an affordable meal for those who are broke at the end of the month, pav is something that is intrinsic to the lives of these people.
However, did you know that pav was not of Indian origin? The soft and small buns were actually introduced to us by the Portuguese. Had it not been for the American Civil War and Portuguese intervention in India, we wouldn’t have been able to relish these heavenly dishes that we do today. When they entered India through Goa, the Portuguese brought pavs with them and also gave India an opportunity to meet cotton requirements of Britain. Since the mill workers burnt the midnight oil during this time, they were fed with pav bhaji made by food stalls set up outside. That’s how pav and the classic pav bhaji came into being.
Today, there are scores of ways in which pavs can be eaten and paired. Looking for ways to pair your pav for lunch. Don’t miss out on these epic combinations then.
1. Missal Pav
A hearty and filling meal, missal is a lentil-based gravy that is all things tasty and spicy. The lentils are often mixed with sprouts to form a curry-like dish to be served with pav. The best part about missal is that namkeen or crunchy bites are sprinkled over the curry along with chopped onions and a chutney which enhances the flavour of the meal.
2. Keema Pav
Next up, we have a meaty delight that is best eaten at the Parsi cafes of Mumbai. Minced meat is dunked with a host of spices and served with soft pavs on the side. Tomato puree, ginger-garlic paste and a few other ingredients go into the making of the flavourful keema, that when slid through a bite of pav, touches the right chord. It also has some onions and green chillies on the side.
3. Pav Bhaji
This one is no stranger to us. Something that started as a way to feed mill workers years ago, satiates the hunger of plenty on the streets of Mumbai today. A hot and spicy mashed mixture of vegetables, including potatoes, tomatoes, cauliflower, beans, onions and spices is paired with the pav and some melted butter on top.
4. Bhurji Pav
When nothing strikes the mind, egg comes to the rescue. Quick and easy to make, eggs are versatile and very filling. A spicy dish of scrambled eggs called bhurji is prepared alongside tawa-toasted pavs for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
5. Bhajji Pav
Bhajji or bhajjiyas are the Maharashtrian counterpart of pakoras. While the crispy fried kanda or onion bhajjis are a simple evening snack, you can make it a wholesome lunch dish by stuffing it in a pav with some green chutney on the base and eating it together.