Pav (पाव) is an Indian term for a small, soft white bread roll. They are used extensively across India for dishes like vada pav, pav bhaji, and misal pav.
Ladi pav are made by baking a sheet of connected pav in a single pan, separating them for service, similar to American soft dinner rolls.
Word origins
Pav is originally derived from the Portuguese pão, "bread". Leavened bread was introduced by the Portuguese to the west coast of India, around Gao, in the 16th century.