Mumbai Food: Savour pav-filled treats, Maharashtrian delights at these pop-ups

PorkaPavThe pav goes globalPackAPav is one place that has turned the humble vada pav on its head giving the Mumbai staple a makeover with quirky fillings And every few months the restaurant hosts an event called Pav With Friends where worthy home cooks and chefs are invited to take over the menu This time the invitation has been extended to Danda Food Project PackAPav founder Rohan Mangalorkar reveals The reason is that they do refreshingly different cuisine without compromising on quality And having accepted his proposal Aditya Raghavan and Anandita Kamani the brains behind the popup dinner series promise to take guests on a culinary trip around the world with the pav being the chosen vehicleThe first destination is Vietnam with a banh miinspired dish Just like the Portuguese gave us the pav banh is a bread that came to Vietnam with the French who filled it with things like pork terrine and liver mousse But the Vietnamese then gave it their own flavour with sriracha and pickled carrots Raghavan informsAditya RaghavanThe culinary journey then proceeds to Korea with a pav filled with bulgogi a classic barbecue recipe usually made with beef This version though is with mutton It will also have a lot of mushrooms with a spicy inhouse kimchi balancing out the sweetness that comes from the brown sugar and apples in the sauce Raghavan tells usHe adds that the next stop Mexico is meant for vegetarians This pav is a take on a popular staple called rajaf con crema Instead of Mexican peppers we have added spicier Bhavnagari chillies Its blended with goat cheese and hung yogurt and it all comes together with a roasted corn and potato patty Raghavan says adding And then we come to the US of A Excessive delicious cheesy mdash whatever the adjective you choose it applies to the chilli hot dog we will add to this pav along with a cheddar cheese sauce that has a hint of beer in itWhat a load of bulgogiThe final destination is the UK with a dessert that is a cross between bread pudding and an apple pie But Raghavan also adds that he is a big fan of the plain and simple vada pav indicating that even if you have travelled across seven seas sometimes there is no place like home to come back to in the endON May 12 and 13 12 pm to 1 pm AT PackAPav Pali Hill Bandra West CALL 9920230240 COST Rs 100 to Rs 180 for eachThe spread at the Maharashtrian popupLost and foundIt would be a mistake to assume that the culinary map of Maharashtra is restricted to places like the Konkan Kolhapur and Nagpur and the ubiquitous roadside stalls in cities like Mumbai and Pune sustaining the masses with vada pav and misal Thats because the tribal belt in Gadchiroli and the saatvikdominated areas of Solapur for example contain hidden gems which make them equally important landmarks when it comes to food in the state And now a popup this weekend is highlighting these places to alter common percetion about what constitutes typical Maharashtrian dishesA motherdaughter duo Sugandha and Vaishali Polke is hosting it They are part of the thinktank behind Being Marathi a YouTube channel that aims to shine a light on the cuisine that tends to get lost in the states hinterland The menu thus contains something called kadaknath chicken Its a black fowl in which the meat mdash believe it or not mdash is also black in colour When we had first cooked it even we were taken aback Vaishali tells us adding that the bird mdash which is found mainly near the Madhya PradeshMaharashtra border mdash is prohibitively expensive with the prices for one rising up to as high as Rs 2000Gavran chickenThen there is chandkyachi daal Its a family recipe rooted in religion There is a highly pious community in Pandharpur the Vitthals who go on a pilgrimage during ekadashi every year And this daal is part of the food thats made for their journey But we have given it a twist by adding balls of flour shaped like the moon mdash be it a crescent or fully round shape mdash into it Hence the name chandkyachi Vaishali explainsSugandha PolkeThe rest of the dishes feature equally lesserknown food such as olya shengdanyachi chutney made with peanuts garlic and red chillies But some of the items such as bharli khadi vangi and saoji mutton have made their way into the menus of some Mumbai eateries Even then you are unlikely to find authentic versions because the restaurants commericialise the food to suit peoples palates If you want the real deal you will have to actually travel to the places where these dishes originated Or you can come for our popup since my mother doesnt mess around with the recipes Vaishali signs offON May 12 730 pm AT Navi Mumbai the exact address will be shared on signing up LOG ON TO authenticookcom cost Rs 1150Catch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates