Why Does Pav Bhaji Taste Better the Next Day?
Pav Bhaji is a beloved Indian dish that, interestingly, often tastes even better when consumed the following day. This phenomenon can be attributed to a combination of flavor development, absorption, cooling and reheating, and resting time.
Flavor Development
The spices and ingredients in Pav Bhaji continue to meld and deepen their flavors as they sit. This allows the tastes to intensify and become more harmonious. The longer the dish sits, the more the flavors have a chance to integrate, resulting in a richer and more enjoyable flavor profile.
Absorption
The bread pav in Pav Bhaji can absorb some of the bhaji’s flavors when stored together. This enhances the overall taste experience, making the dish even more delightful on the second day. The bread’s porous texture makes it an excellent vessel for absorbing the flavors, adding depth to the dish.
Cooling and Reheating
When reheated, the dish may undergo slight caramelization, enhancing the flavors and textures. This process not only infuses the dish with more complexity but also gives it a slightly different texture, which many find appealing.
Resting Time
Similar to many stews and curries, resting allows the ingredients to soften and the flavors to blend. This resting period can significantly improve the overall taste, making each component more tender and the flavors more cohesive.
In general, most dishes taste much better 12 hours after cooking due to better permeation of the flavors throughout the dish. However, the bhaji of Pav Bhaji and the vada of Vada Pav often taste relatively blander when consumed after 12 hours or more. This is due to the starch from the potatoes, which leaks out and masks the flavors, making the dish taste much less spicy. Starch is inherently bland, which contributes to this effect.
The Effect of Potatoes
The potato content in Pav Bhaji plays a significant role in its flavor profile. When potatoes are added to a dish and then rested, the starch can seep out, reducing the intensity of the spices and other flavors. However, if the potatoes are separately fried until golden brown and then folded into the gravy, this effect is minimized. This technique, often used in home cooking, prevents the starch from leaking out, preserving the original spiciness.
Restaurants, on the other hand, often use pre-boiled potatoes to save time. While this can make the preparation quicker, it can also result in a less flavorful dish due to the starch leakage.
Other dishes containing potatoes also exhibit a similar phenomenon. For example, mutton curry containing potatoes (in Bihar and Bengal, etc.) and Dum Aloo might taste milder. However, curries without potatoes, such as those found in other parts of India, can taste much better after resting for a day without losing the original spiciness.
Overall, the unique characteristics of Potamo and the way they are handled in cooking contribute to the distinct taste of Pav Bhaji, making it even more enjoyable the next day.