Vada Pav, also known as the “Indian Burger,” is a popular street food delicacy hailing from the vibrant city of Mumbai. This flavorful dish consists of a spicy potato patty (vada) sandwiched between soft pav buns, accompanied by a medley of chutneys. With its explosive combination of textures and flavors, Vada Pav has captured the hearts and palates of food enthusiasts across the globe. In this recipe blog, I will guide you through the step-by-step process of creating this delectable street food favorite right in your own kitchen.
Origin of Vada Pav
While the exact origin of Vada Pav’s creation is not pinpointed to a specific individual or place, it is the amalgamation of culinary influences from different regions of India that have contributed to its evolution and widespread popularity.
Over time, Vada made its way to the streets of Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay, where it underwent a transformation and became an integral part of the iconic street food dish called Vada Pav. Mumbai’s bustling street food culture and the affordability of Vada Pav made it a beloved go-to snack for the city’s working-class population.
Vada Pav, with its fusion of flavors and textures, quickly gained immense popularity and became synonymous with Mumbai’s vibrant street food scene. Today, it is considered a quintessential Mumbai street food delicacy, representing the city’s culinary heritage and serving as a delicious on-the-go meal for locals and tourists alike.
How to make Vada Pav?
Make the Dry Garlic Chutney
Heat a skillet over medium-low flame and add the garlic cloves. Roast them for a minute until they turn slightly brown and the raw smell dissipates. Set them aside on a plate.
In the same skillet, dry-roast the coconut until it becomes light brown. Transfer it to the plate with the garlic.
Repeat the process with peanuts and sesame seeds separately, and add them to the plate as well.
Once the roasted ingredients cool down, add them all to a food processor.
Add Kashmiri chili powder and salt. Grind them into a coarse powder, ensuring not to make it too fine. Adjust the heat and salt levels according to your taste.
Transfer the dry garlic chutney into an airtight jar, refrigerate, and use it within 15-20 days.
Making the Potato Vada
Begin by boiling the potatoes until they are soft. Once cooked, peel and mash them, setting aside the fluffy goodness for later.
In a pan heated over medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, toss in the cumin seeds and mustard seeds, allowing them to crackle and release their aromatic flavors.
Now, add the curry leaves and asafoetida, mixing well to infuse the oil with their essence. Next, add the minced green chili peppers to the pan
If desired, you can also include minced ginger and garlic for an extra kick of flavor. Sauté the mixture for about a minute until the raw smell dissipates. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and salt, giving it a quick sauté for a few seconds.
Add mashed potatoes to the pan and, using a potato masher, incorporate them with the aromatic mixture. Next, add the minced green chili peppers to the pan
Give it a good mix until all the flavors are beautifully combined.
Form lemon-sized balls out of the potato mixture, setting them aside for the next step.
Creating the Batter and Frying the Vada
In a large mixing bowl, take gram flour (besan) and add turmeric, salt, and a pinch of baking soda. Gradually pour in water, whisking the mixture to achieve a smooth batter. Adjust the consistency with a few extra tablespoons of water, aiming for a batter that is neither too thick nor too thin.
Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. It’s time to coat those potato balls with the gram flour batter. Dip each ball into the batter, ensuring they are evenly coated.
Carefully drop the coated balls into the hot oil, one by one, to maintain the oil’s temperature. Fry the vadas until they turn a glorious golden brown. Once done, transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
For an extra touch of flavor, slit the green chilies lengthwise to prevent them from spluttering. Fry them in the oil until they turn a slightly whiteish hue. Remove them from the oil, drain on a paper towel, and sprinkle with salt. These crispy chilies will make a fantastic garnish.
Assembling the Vada Pav
Lightly toast the pav buns with some vegan butter on a pan, enhancing their flavor and texture.
Be sure to slice each bun horizontally, without completely separating the halves, keeping one end attached. On one side of the pav, spread a generous layer of green chutney.
Generously slather the other side with garlic chutney, imparting a bold and aromatic kick. Place a fried vada, still warm and crispy, in the center of the pav.
Top it off with a single fried chili. Enjoy with some green mint chutney.
If you try my recipes, do let me know. I would love to see how you have prepared these recipes.
Make this Vada Pav, a popular street food from Mumbai, India, consisting of a deep-fried potato fritter (vada) served inside a bread roll (pav), typically garnished with chutneys and spices.
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine Indian, Indian Street Food
Keyword Mumbai Vada Pav, Vada Pav, Vada Pav Street Food
Prep Time 30 minutesminutes
Cook Time 20 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 9
Calories 1108kcal
Ingredients
Vada/potato patty
2-3green chiliesminced
1tablespoonoil
3/4teaspooncumin seeds
3/4teaspoonmustard seeds
1/4teaspoonasafoetida also known as hing
12-15curry leaves
4medium potatoes around 600 grams
1/4teaspoonturmeric
3/4teaspoonsalt or to taste
2tablespoonschopped cilantro
For batter
1cupgram flour/besan sub with chickpea flour
1/4teaspoonturmeric
1/2teaspoonsalt
pinchbaking soda
1/2cupwater + 1-2 tablespoons extraas needed
Other ingredients
10ladi pav or dinner rolls
10green chilliesto fry and garnish
vegetable oil for frying
vegan butter for toasting
Dry Garlic Chutney
12clovesGarlic
1/4cupPeanuts or 36.5 grams
3tablespoonSesame seeds or 27 grams
1/2cupfresh or dessicated Coconut or 50 grams
1.5tablespoonKashmiri red chili powder adjust to taste
1teaspoonSalt or to taste
Instructions
Make the Garlic Chutney
Heat a skillet on medium-low flame and add the garlic cloves. Roast them for a minute.
Let the garlic turn a little brown in color and the raw smell of the garlic goes away. Set it aside on a plate.
Then dry-roast the coconut in the same skillet till it becomes light brown in color and set it aside on the plate with the garlic.
Continue with the peanuts and sesame seeds separately and set them on the plate as well.
Once roasted ingredients cool down, add them all to a food processor.
Add the Kashmiri chili powder and salt to this.
Grind them to a coarse powder, making sure not to make them fine. Adjust the heat and salt level to taste.
Transfer this dry garlic chutney into an air-tight jar, refrigerate, and use it within 15-20 days.
For the Vada:
Boil the potatoes until soft, peel and mash them, and set them aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the curry leaves and asafoetida and mix well.
Add the minced green chili peppers (optionally add minced ginger and garlic). Cook for about a minute until it no longer smells raw, add turmeric and salt and saute for a few seconds.
Then add boiled potatoes and mashed potatoes, using a potato masher to mash them in. Switch off the heat and add chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lemon juice, and mix well.
Then, make lemon-sized balls out of this potato mixture and set aside.
Make the batter to coat the vada:
In a large mixing bowl, take gram flour/besan. Add turmeric, salt, and a pinch of baking soda to it. Start adding water, little by little to the bowl.
Whisk to form a smooth batter. You may need a couple of extra tablespoons of water to reach the right consistency. The batter should be neither too viscous nor too thin.
Fry the vada
Heat oil in a wok on medium-high heat. Dip each potato ball into the gram-flour batter, and coat it evenly.
Drop them carefully into the hot oil. Drop them one by one and not altogether to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping.
Fry the vada in hot oil until they turn golden brown. Remove from the oil and let them drain on a paper towel.
Once the vadas are done frying, slit the green chilies (to help air from the inside to escape and not splutter in the oil) and drop them in the oil. We want the exterior to get crispy. Once they become sort of whiteish, remove them from the oil, drain the oil on a paper towel, and sprinkle salt on them. They make a great hot garnish.
Assemble the Vada Pav
To assemble the vada pav, toast the pav with some butter on a pan (if you wish). Then slice each pav until the other end, but not entirely. making sure it is still attached at one end.
Apply green chutney on one side and add garlic chutney.
Place the fried vada in the center, with a single fried chili on top. Serve the vada pav hot with more chutney on the side!
Hey there, Anjali I am an avid fan of your recipes being a Desi foodie. Although getting spare time away from your work is rare, I encourage you to explore, experiment and record new recipes developing a book. This can foster you're passionate part time into the massive demand of basic cooking needs for people around globe helping millions and boosting you're profession. I am up for it to you guide you about the design, Publishment and marketing by this email, if you aspire to. Wishing you a pleasant day 🙃!
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Hey there, Anjali I am an avid fan of your recipes being a Desi foodie. Although getting spare time away from your work is rare, I encourage you to explore, experiment and record new recipes developing a book. This can foster you're passionate part time into the massive demand of basic cooking needs for people around globe helping millions and boosting you're profession. I am up for it to you guide you about the design, Publishment and marketing by this email, if you aspire to. Wishing you a pleasant day 🙃!