There are many stories with regards to the origin of “Pav Bhaji” in India but the most widely accepted story believes that the recipe of “Pav Bhaji” was conceived by the street vendors of Maharashtra during the 19th Century (Approximately, during the 1860s). The traders and workers at the Bombay cotton exchange used to be extremely busy to fulfill the demand of cotton and were used to return home late due to the work. Many street vendors located near the Bombay cotton exchange conceived the idea of selling a unique easy to prepare street food to satisfy the food demands of these workers. The vendors started collecting the leftover bread and mix the vegetables and finely mash them together. They used to serve the bread and butter with the mashed vegetables. The literal meaning of “Pav” refers to the bread and “Bhaji” means “Vegetables”.
Pav Bhaji is a favorite street food and is served throughout India. This street food is served in different varieties in different parts of India. The ingredients (vegetables) used in the preparation of Bhaji is more or less the same and mainly comprises of Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, Onions, Chilies, Peas, and Bell Peppers. These are finely mashed and mixed and usually served with the chopped onions. The thick mashed vegetable paste is garnished with a layer of melted butter and is either served with the soft fluffy dinner rolls or any other fluffy bread which will be buttered until they are turned to yellow color. We prefer eating the “Pav Bhaji” at home as we have limited Indian food eating options in my current city of residence.