It’s a global dish now. What was native to Maharashtrians, with one half borrowed from the Portuguese pao, is now no longer any particular community’s prerogative. It It originated from the textile mill culture in Mumbai where mill workers would have pav bhaji instead of heavier meals during lunch breaks. As the employees would have to return to physical labour after lunch, roti or rice was replaced with pav and the curries that usually go with Indian bread or rice were made into one spicy concoction - bhaji. Today, variations can be found in many parts of the world, where there are Indians. In South Africa, for instance, it would be the Bunny Chow, or curry in a bun!