Pav

Pav in India refers to a type of soft, fluffy bread roll that is commonly used in various street foods and meals. The term "pav" comes from the Portuguese word "pão," which means bread. Pav was introduced to India during Portuguese colonization, particularly in Goa and Mumbai, and has since become a staple in Indian cuisine.

Pav is soft, pillowy, and slightly chewy, with a light crust and a subtle sweetness, making it versatile for pairing with both savory and spicy dishes. Pav is traditionally made with a dough of refined flour (maida), water, yeast, sugar, salt, and a little butter or oil.

The dough is kneaded, allowed to rise, shaped into rolls, and baked until soft and golden brown. It is typically small in size and comes in sets, perfect for individual servings. Pav is a key component of popular Indian dishes like vada pav, a spicy potato fritter sandwiched in pav, pav bhaji, where pav is served with a spicy, buttery vegetable mash, misal pav, which pairs pav with a spicy lentil curry, and keema pav, where pav accompanies spiced minced meat curry.