Just Walking Around

Mumbai’s Any time Snack -----Pav Bhaji

If you are feeling hungry and are bored to eat the usual Roti -Bhajji or even fast food like a McDonald’s Burger or a Subway, the best Indian fast food which is lip smacking and quite filling and is even the favorite item on any kid’s party menu, you guessed it right ---Its Pav Bhaji.

Pav Bhaji is the quint-essential Mumbai street food. It’s a spicy preparation of mashed vegetables, a generous dose of fresh tomatoes, a dollop of butter and consumed with pav, which is usually buttered on all sides. Sounds Yummy doesn’t it?

The history of the pav bhaji is as delicious as the dish itself. As per popular folklore, it originated back in the 1850’s when textile mills flourished in Mumbai. Textile workers, who didn’t have a lot of time to eat their lunch, wanted a light meal as they had to return to their physical work. A person saw this problem and in true Mumbaiya sense came with a jugaad. He replaced the roti with a pav and the curry with a spicy concoction of vegetables. And thus Pav Bhaji was born

This is once snack which need no time to hog on. You can have it at lunch time if you are bored of the usual Tandoori Roti and Sabji or the South Indian Idli-Dosa’s. Or if you have skipped lunch during lunch time of 1pm to 2pm like I usally do and its nearly tea time which like 3-3.30 pm. And you are confused what to order , best is to order Pav Bhaji the quickest snack available and really a filling one too.

There are numerous food joints and restaurant’s scattered across the diaspora of Mumbai where you can get this Pav Bhajji. The most famous being the one served at Canon bang opposite the VT now CST Station. Canon Pav Bhaji is one of the most iconic pav bhaji places in Mumbai. The heavenly aroma of butter & bhaji will help you locate this humble kerb side stall as you cross the road from CST. They serve two kinds of pav bhaji – the regular one with dollops of Amul butter floating in your plate or the Cheese Pav bhaji. The bhaji here is moderately spiced, just the way it should be, while the pavs are literally soaked in butter. You’ll need another helping of those Pav's to polish the bhaji off your plate. They also serve the Kadak Pav, if you prefer that instead of the regular pav. Do try  their Masala Chaas, Lassi to wash it down or a ghee soaked gajar ka halwa to sweeten your palte after and tangy spicy Pav bhaji. As college students we used to go to Sterling or Regal to watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters and after the movie we used to visit this stall to dip into this lip smacking dish which a favourite due ots taste and also since was very pocket friendly. Once done we used to hop across to the VT station to catch the train home with memories of a day spent enjoying with friends.

Next on the list of Pav baji aficionados is the Sardar Pav Bhaji at Tardeo. Sardar Pav Bhaji serves arguably the best Pav Bhaji in Mumbai and if you’re a Pav Bhaji fan, then this is a place you just cannot miss. Pav Bhaji here can be described by just one word- BUTTER.Eat at Sardar’s only if you love butter. And by “love”, I mean LOVE LOVE LOVE butter. The Bhaji here is not as spicy or hot as compared to others and the brownish black colour of the Bhaji is brought out by their secret masala. If you’re in for a cheesy kick, then order a Cheese Pav Bhaji, which is served with a mound of shredded cheese. Definitely check this one out. The other variation you get here is the khada Pav Bhaji , instead of the mashed bhaji the veggies like tomatoes , Cauliflower , Potatoes and Green Bell peppers are tossed along with onions , garlics and the special Pav Bhaji masala.

Never have i seen people waiting so patiently for their turn to get a place to sit and have food. There is a queue to get in the restaurant. They have a small sitting area which can accommodate around 40 to 50 people at a time. And mind you no air-conditioning. But who cares about all these when you get amazing food. They don’t have any elaborate menu. They just have PAV BHAJI and that is what you should go there for. The service is fast and the staff is super awesome. Dip your fingers in the buttery bhaji and bite into this flavour filled snack ,give a burp of satisfaction pay your bill and walk away with a smile on your face.

Another locally famous Pav bhajiwallah is the Maruti Pav Bhaji at Vile Parle. Vile Parle’s best kept secret (well, not anymore), this is a place frequented by those in the know and it never fails to amaze me just how much of a fan following this place has. Ask any random guy for directions to this place Maruti, and he will guide you. This guy starts from 7pm and does not have closing time, as people just keep coming. Usually, there is a waiting, but its worth it, as the Pav Bhaji is spectacular and tastes unlike any you’ll have elsewhere (it’s a little on the spicy side too, so be warned if spice isn’t your thing). His main ingredient is butter and black pepper and this is what lends the black color to his Bhaji. The taste too is unique much  like Malwani masala spiked Pav Bhaji. And locally it is know as Kali Pav Bhaji due to its color. But the taste is fantabulous and you are left craving for more. But don’t forget to wash it down with a Lassi , Butter Milk else you feel the spicyness well up in your throat and belly well after you have eaten this dish. The best thing to do to avoid the sharp sting of spice is to sprinkle the bhaji with a dash of lime juice and mix chopped onioins to make it little palatable for the non-spicy eaters like me. But atleast try it once and I assure you , you will be a lifetime fan of this Kali Pav Bhaji.

As I live in the Education hub of Matunga which is surrounded by well known colleges like Ruia, Poddar , Khalsa, VJTI and Wellingkar’s , the area is populated with a large number of Student crowd . And to cater to their hunger pangs most local restaurant’s have Pav Bhaji on their menu’s at affordable prices to match the pocket money of these students. The best Pav Bhaji can be had at 3 such restaurants. One is at DP’s - This is one of those restaurants, which gained its popularity due to the proximity to colleges, but now is quite well known. The ambiance here is simple, the food yummy and their service fast. When it comes to food, people including me swear by their Masala Pav. The Masala Pav is like light & fluffy cotton balls soaked in butter and spicy masala. Their pav bhaji is yummy and the pav is well buttered.

The other being Classic Fast Food opposite Don Bosco and close to Khalsa College. Here also the Pav bhaji is the most favoured snack . Its their signature dish . The bhaji with its tangy -spicy taste is to die for . Served with a dollop of butter on top and with the perfectly toasted buttery Pav. During college days we used to frequent this place as the Khalsa college canteen was a so so affair with vey limited option and not so great taste. The Classic Fast Food used to be and still is the Khalsa college’s official Adda.

If you crave the Pav bhaji at close to mid night and don’t know where to look out for this snack head straight to Umesh at King Circle. Umesh whose stall is popularly known as chatai pav bhaji wala. He serves up a super spicy pav bhaji on his open stall. He rolls out his stock of Chatai literally on the pavement / footpath. Patron sit on the chatai and order the famous Pav Bhaji and are served super fast by his attendants. Eat this finger licking pav bhaji and come back for more.

So next time you want to try a plate of Pav Bhaji just visit these famous food joints or use the technology to your advantage and order online. Then sit back relax and enjoy this Mumbaiya snack to your hearts content.