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.
Image Credit: Mr Brown Bakery
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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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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Whether it is paneer or eggs, a flavourful scramble stuffed between pao makes for a great breakfast or snack option.
Image Credit: Archana's Kitchen
An off-shoot of the pav bhaji, the masala pao is a savoury and spicy preparation of condensed bhaji slathered on to the bread.
Image Credit: Shweta In The Kitchen
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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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.
Image Credit: Monkey Bar Kolkata
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