Vada Pav is a popular street food from Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai. It’s a spicy potato dumpling coated in chickpea flour batter, deep-fried, and served in a pav bun. Made with mashed potatoes, spices, and often accompanied by chutneys like tamarind and mint, it’s a favorite among locals and tourists. Vada Pav is also known as the “Indian burger” due to its popularity and ubiquity in street food culture.
Here’s a basic recipe to make Vada Pav:
Ingredients:
For Potato Filling:
– 4 medium-sized potatoes, boiled and mashed
– 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
– 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
– 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
– 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
– A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
– A few curry leaves, chopped
– Salt to taste
– 1 tablespoon oil
For Vada Batter:
– 1 cup gram flour (besan)
– A pinch of turmeric powder
– A pinch of baking soda (optional)
– Salt to taste
– Water, as needed
For Assembling:
– Pav bread (dinner rolls), sliced in half
– Green chutney
– Tamarind chutney
– Garlic chutney (optional)
– Thinly sliced onions (optional)
Instructions:
1. Prepare Potato Filling:
– Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them crackle.
– Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, chopped green chilies, and curry leaves. Saute for a minute.
– Add the paste of ginger and garlic, and sauté until the raw scent goes away.
– Add mashed potatoes and salt. Mix well and cook for a few minutes. Turn off the flame and let it cool.
2. Make Vada Batter:
– In a bowl, mix gram flour, turmeric powder, salt, and baking soda (if using).
– Gradually add water to make a smooth batter with a thick pouring consistency. Set aside.
3. Assemble Vada Pav:
– Take a portion of the potato mixture and shape it into a small ball.
– Heat oil for deep frying. Dip the potato ball into the gram flour batter, ensuring it’s coated evenly.
– Gently place the coated potato ball in the heated oil, frying it until it turns crispy and golden brown. Take out and use a paper towel to drain any
excess oil.
– Repeat the process for the remaining potato mixture.
– Slice the pav bread in half and lightly toast them on a griddle or skillet.
– Spread one half of the pav with green chutney and the other half with tamarind chutney.
– Place a fried potato vada between the two halves of the pav.
– Optionally, spread garlic chutney on top of the vada and add sliced onions for extra flavor.
– Serve hot with additional chutneys on the side.
Enjoy your homemade Vada Pav, a delicious and iconic Indian street food!