Kheema Pav
Spiced minced lamb or beef curry served in soft Mumbai pav bread — the city's ultimate comfort street food.
Origin Story
Kheema (spiced minced meat) is a staple across the Indian subcontinent with Central Asian origins dating to the Mughal era. Its combination with pav — the soft white bread introduced to Mumbai by Goa's Portuguese community — is a distinctly Mumbai synthesis that dates to the 20th century.
Cultural Context
Kheema pav is the breakfast and lunch staple of Mumbai's Irani cafés — the Zoroastrian-owned teahouses that have been a fixture of the city since the 19th century. Places like Britannia & Co and Kyani & Co serve kheema pav alongside chai at communal tables. It is Mumbai's equivalent of the full English breakfast.
Recipe
Brown minced lamb in oil with onions, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes, and whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom). Add chilli powder, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala. Cook until the oil separates, about 25 minutes. Finish with chopped coriander, fried egg on top. Serve with 2 pav buns — split and buttered — for dunking and scooping.