This Maharashtrian delicacy is served in almost all big hotels and roadside eateries, and has a savoury taste. It is a thick vegetable curry made from seasonal vegetables, potatoes, tomatoes and onions served with pav, which is bread roll topped with butter. It is best served hot. The word 'pav' comes from the Portuguese word for bread and 'bhaji' in Marathi means a vegetable dish.

Pav Bhaji is said to have originated in the state of Maharashtra as a midnight meal for textile workers in the 1850s. As the story goes, since the mill workers worked late into the night, their wives would feel annoyed when they got home and asked for dinner. Thus, to make a filling meal, they started collecting leftover bread and mixing all the vegetables and mashing them. This was a rough version of the delectable pav bhaji that is relished today.

Read More