In which Indian city did pav bhaji originate?

Pav bhaji originated in Mumbai, India.

The dish consists of a thick, spicy vegetable bhaji served with a soft, buttered bread roll called pav. Vendors typically mash potatoes, tomatoes, onions, peas, bell peppers, and other vegetables together on a hot tava, seasoning the mixture with a distinctive spice blend. The pav is toasted in butter and served alongside the curry, often with chopped onion, coriander, and lemon.

Pav bhaji is generally linked to Mumbai’s textile-mill districts, where vendors developed a fast, filling lunch for mill workers. Its preparation made practical use of cooked vegetables and could be served quickly to large numbers of people. It later spread from handcarts and small stalls to restaurants across India and abroad.

Mumbai is the canonical answer even though the dish has many regional and dietary variations. Jain pav bhaji may omit onion, garlic, and potatoes, while cheese, paneer, mushrooms, beetroot, or chunky vegetables can appear in other versions. These variations change the recipe, not its commonly recognized origin.