Our own spicy desi burger, the vada pav, which gives many other Americanised burgers a serious run for their money, has a sweet competitor in another Asian bun. Malaysian food chain Pappa Roti, which opened shop in the country last year, is perhaps a perfect foil to the vada pav. But what makes this bun so special? The answer lies in its core, as well as on its surface. Incredibly soft inside with a crisp caramel exterior, Pappa Roti buns, however, are wrapped in mystery. All the buns are imported from Malaysia, and the company owners refuse to share its recipe. Coming with a host of toppings, the one I tried was covered with a layer of nutella and almonds, and did look one-of-a-kind. The aroma is tantalising, but one bite and the incredible softness of the treat gets you hooked.
Despite being made in Malaysia, the softness of the bun is intact, something which is not easy to achieve. Mehul Gupta and Vikram Mahajan, co-founders of Genext V&M International, who have brought the concept to Delhi NCR, share some secrets though. “Before fermenting, some amount of butter is added to the core of the dough, which helps it keep soft from within. The dough, after the addition of butter, is fermented naturally for at least 10 hours. However, if the conditions are not ripe, the dough is artificially fermented for five-six hours and naturally fermented for three-four hours,” says Gupta. The caramel crust is one major aspect that separates Pappa Roti’s buns from the ones used by McDonald’s or Johnny Rockets.
Essentially made of caramel, the layering is added on top of the bun before baking, resulting in the formation of a crust. “The caramel coating is like the icing on the cake. It adds that flavour, which leaves a different taste on the palate,” adds Gupta. Pappa Roti, whose first outlet came up in Hyderabad in March last year, is present in five Indian cities: Hyderabad, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Gurugram and Noida. Gupta and her partner are sure the confectionery will appeal to the tastebuds of Indians and plan to open around eight-10 more outlets in Delhi-NCR in the next four-five years.
