Every time Gautam Pardake goes home to Virar, he always seeks his fill of bhujing. While he eats some of it at home, it has now become a ritual for him to take at least two packets back – one for him and another for friends in Thane, where he now lives. “Whenever I leave to visit my parents, I place the order in Thane so that it arrives by the time I reach Virar,” laughs Pardake. “Earlier, when deliveries weren’t possible because my parents’ place was beyond the distance they covered, I used to order it to a friend’s address and pick it up from there.” 

Known to have originated in Agashi town in Virar, bhujing is a name and a dish that every person from the far-flung suburb has heard growing up. The dish comprises chicken and potatoes, roasted over coals and pan-fried with poha – all finished with a squeeze of lime and a side of chutney. The word itself borrows from the Marathi `bhujane`, which means roasting. Over the years, it has become more than just a snack and is even eaten for dinner with rice and chapatis. Despite its suburban following, many in the rest of Mumbai know little or nothing about this dish.