7 Delicious Dishes To Make With Mumbai’s Famous Pao

By Devi Poojari

December 4, 2023

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons

The pao – a Portuguese import, is deeply ingrained in the fabric of what constitutes food in Mumbai. The soft, porous bread that is widely consumed across meals, depending on what you eat it with, can be a fascinating ingredient that forms the base of many dishes.

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SEYAL PAO

This Sindhi preparation is a great way to upcycle day-old pao by tossing it in a spicy, herb-loaded masala.

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DABELI

A Gujarati specialty, the dabeli is a sweet and tangy street food snack that is characterised by stuffing pao with a potato filling and toasting with butter.

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BHURJI PAO SANDWICH

Whether it is paneer or eggs, a flavourful scramble stuffed between pao makes for a great breakfast or snack option.

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MASALA PAO

An off-shoot of the pav bhaji, the masala pao is a savoury and spicy preparation of condensed bhaji slathered on to the bread.

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GARLIC BUTTER PAO

If combining garlic butter with soft pao was not something you would’ve imagined, you best believe that this is a treat you will want to eat over and over!

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CHORIZ PAO

Spicy Goan chorizo sausage cooked with onions are a piquant treat in combination with soft paos; eat them for a snack or for a light lunch.

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RAS PAO

A delicacy from the streets of Jamnagar, this chaat-spin on toasted pao, is topped off with onions, tomatoes, nylon sev and fresh coriander.

Image Credit: Neha's Cook Book

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