Pav bhaji
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Pav bhaji (Marathi: पाव भाजी, also transliterated as pao bhaji and pau bhaji) is a fast food dish native to Maharashtra and is popular in most metropolitan areas in India, and particularly in the Maharashtran city of Mumbai. In Marathi pav means bread (the term derives from the Portuguese "pão") and bhaji, which is a term for a curry and vegetable dish. The serving of pav bhaji consists of the bhaji (a potato based curry) and the pav (bread) garnished with coriander and chopped onions. Pav is a type of bread, high in carbohydrates and fats (if served with butter), while bhaji is the vegetable-based curry portion, high in carbohydrates.
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[edit] History
The origin of this dish is traced to the heyday of the textile mills in Mumbai. The mill workers used to have a short break for lunch. A full lunch which was not rushed probably needed more time than what was available. A light lunch was also preferred given that physical work followed immediately. A vendor understood this and came up with this dish using items or parts of them available on the menu. The role of roti or rice was taken up by pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were amalgamated into just one spicy concoction-the 'bhaji'. Initially, it remained the food of the mill-workers. The dish eventually found its way into restaurants and spreading over Central Mumbai and other areas.
[edit] Preparation
To make bhaji, potatoes are mashed on a flat pan called a tava, and made into a thick gravy after adding diced tomatoes, green peas, capsicums (green pepper) and other vegetables like cauliflower. A special blend of spices called the pav bhaji masala is added to this thick gravy. The gravy is then allowed to simmer on the pan for a few minutes and is served hot in a flat dish with a tablespoon of butter on top.
The pav (bread) is roasted on the same pan with an ample amount of butter and masala. The Bhaji is garnished with diced onion and a slice of lemon and served with the pav.
[edit] Consumption
It is consumed as a snack, between lunch and dinner, particularly by individuals in western India. In this part of India, pav bhaji is available on hand carts popularly known as Pav bhaji ki Gaadi. It is also available in almost all hotels and eateries.
[edit] In popular culture and media
- The connection of pav bhaji is to western India is similar to what pizza is to Italy or the hot-dog is to America.
- Sanjay Dutt played the role of a pav bhaji vendor in the Hindi movie Vaastav.
