Pav Bhaji

Pav bhaji is a Maharashtrian fast food dish that originated in Mumbai cuisine. While Bhaji is a traditional Indian name for a vegitable dish, the Pav or Pau or Pao was the Portuguese word for bread (small rolls) intruduced by them during their brief presence in Mumbai (then Bombay), before it was gifted by them to the English as part of the dowry for Catherine of Braganzas marriage to Charles II. The pavbhaji is a spicy preparation with a mixture of vegetables, either whole or mashed, a generous dose of fresh tomatoes, a dollop of butter, optional toppings of cheese and dryfruits and fresh fruits, consumed with warm bread gently or crispy fried in butter an alltime, anytime favourite with Mumbaikars. It is native to Mumbai and has now become popular in most metropolitan areas in India, especially in those of central and western Indian states such as Gujarat and Karnataka. Pav means bread. Bhaji in Marathi means vegetable dish. Pav bhaji consists of bhaji (a thick potatobased curry) garnished with coriander, chopped onion, and a dash of lemon and lightly toasted pav. The pav is usually buttered on all sides.