Indian food has become famous around the world for its complex flavor profiles and textures. It’s especially popular among vegetarians since it usually has little to no meat in it.
Pav bhaji is a type of curry that has gained popularity as a street food all over India. It’s popular in restaurants too and many people are learning to make pav bhaji at home. Here are 13 facts about pav bhaji.
1. It’s from Mumbai
The Indian state of Maharashtra is on the west side of the country and is home to the major city of Mumbai. Mumbai has a rich cultural history that includes both spicy and mild foods. Foods developed in Mumbai tend to get local variations all over the state and country and many snacks from India draw some influence from this city.
2. It’s More Than 150 Years Old
Pav bhaji, also sometimes called bhaji pav, first emerged in the mid-1800s to feed textile mill workers during their shifts. It was a convenient and inexpensive way to eat in the middle of the day and had enough carbs to keep workers going until dinner.
3. It’s Considered a Snack Food
Most people think of curry as something you eat as part of a main meal, especially when paired with rice or naan. However, pav bhaji is very popular as a street snack. Street vendors sell it because it’s thicker than most curries, making it easier for customers to eat on-the-go.
4. It’s Vegetarian
Pav bhaji is made from potatoes and other diced and mashed vegetables stewed in a thick gravy-like mixture. The vegetables vary but may include carrots, green peppers, cauliflower, green peas, and more. The gravy or broth is often mostly made up of tomato juice, and many recipes call for just throwing some diced tomatoes in and letting the resulting juices cook the other vegetables.
Meat products, including meat broths and fish oils, are not usually included in pav bhaji. If you’re strictly vegetarian, you may want to double-check with the restaurant or vendor serving it to make sure.
5. Street-Style Pav Bhaji Is Unique
Most restaurants in India and the U.S. serve pav bhaji with a full, rich blend of vegetables, including cauliflower. However, cauliflower is more expensive than potatoes, so street vendors usually omit cauliflower and include more potatoes.
This doesn’t mean that street-style isn’t as good as restaurant-style, of course. Many people find that they like the potato-heavy richness of street-style pav bhaji just as much as restaurant-style. It all depends on what’s available and what you’re in the mood for.
6. It’s Usually Spicy
Like many curries, pav bhaji is generally spicy and includes multiple chiles or chili powder. The heat intensity varies depending on the exact pav bhaji masala blend used, but it’s always delicious! If you’re sensitive to spicy foods, ask the street vendor or restaurant how spicy they usually make it.
India is famous for curry and other spicy food, so pav bhaji’s spicy side should be no surprise to Indian food enthusiasts. You can also try other spicy snacks from India to compare flavor profiles and spice levels.
7. It’s Usually Served with Soft Bread
Many curries are served with naan or rice. However, pav bhaji is often served with soft pieces of bread similar to dinner rolls. Some pav bhaji recipes even pair well with brown bread. Occasionally, you’ll find someone who sells pav bhaji with roti or another West Indian bread, so keep an open mind when ordering.
8. It’s Made on a Hot Griddle
Instead of using a pot or shallow pan, most pav bhaji street vendors make it on a flat hot griddle. The chef moves the pav bhaji mixtures around the griddle, letting the gravy it’s cooked in slowly thicken. This takes some serious skill and practice to do without accidentally spilling or overcooking it.
9. It’s Buttery
Pav bhaji almost always comes with a chunk of butter on top. This finishing touch gives pav bhaji a rich creaminess that helps it pair perfectly with bread. Even if you don’t normally like curry, try pav bhaji with extra butter and a large slice of bread. The butter also helps tone down the spiciness.
10. It Comes with Cilantro, Onion, and Lemon Juice
Most pav bhaji comes with cilantro, onion, and a lemon slice on the side to add for extra flavor. However, some will come with these already added in small quantities in the recipe.
If you’re not a fan of cilantro, you’re not alone. Many people report that cilantro tastes like soap to them and scientists suspect this is due to a genetic difference in our taste buds. Fortunately, the amount of cilantro in pav bhaji is very low, but you can always ask your chef to leave off the cilantro.
11. You Can Add Garlic
Garlic lovers, rejoice! Pav bhaji is perfect for adding ample amounts of garlic. The combination of potatoes, tomatoes, butter, and garlic is heavenly, especially on cold fall or winter nights.
12. You Can Make Your Customized Pav Bhaji at Home
The beauty of pav bhaji is that it doesn’t have to follow a precise recipe in order to cook correctly. Just like other curries, pav bhaji uses different ratios of vegetables depending on the chef’s preferences. Omitting or adding a different vegetable won’t mess up the recipe, as long as you make sure to cook the mixture long enough so all the vegetables are cooked through.
Making pav bhaji is easy enough that even kids can make it, as long as they have a little supervision. Start with a simple pav bhaji recipe, then work on tweaking the recipe or trying other variations until you can make pav bhaji from memory. You can even use a pressure cooker to make your pav bhaji at home.
13. You Can Try Similar Snacks Online
Although pav bhaji recipes are easy to make, sometimes you just want a spicy snack on the go. Kurkure Red Chili Chatka chips are our go-to for getting chili curry flavor in a convenient package. There are many other spicy curry-flavored chips available, so try different kinds with a snack box subscription and other online orders until you find your favorite.
Your Source for Indian Snacks
No matter what your go-to pav bhaji recipe ends up being, you’ll always need snacks for work, school, or at home. MunchPak has you covered with a variety of savory, spicy, salty, and sweet snacks from around the world. Check out all our offerings to find your dream selection of spicy snacks.
