Vada Pav - Street Food from Mumbai- Indian Burger

India's very own street side vegetable burger! You cannot go to Mumbai and NOT have VADA PAV- its a mortal sin if you do that ...lol

VADA PAV

This snack is synonymous with the city of Mumbai, with almost every resident, from factory workers to college students to Bollywood stars, to Visitors are unabashed in declaring their love for it. This street side business has given life to hundreds and thousands of families. A Vada Pav cart owner may be a millionaire for all we know. It is a meal of a poor and snack of the rich. Fills every one's tummy with yumminess!

Vada Pav is a crispy, flavorful sandwich that is consumed in millions across India’s financial capital and largest metropolis every single day. It's made with potato as filling for the vada which is dipped in chickpea flour batter and deep fried. It is then kept in between pav[bread roll] and served with various spicy and tangy dry/wet chutney and fried green chillies. There was a time when I used to ask for extra dry chutney from the vendor. I then brought the leftover chutney home and ate with my roti... its super yummy!

I lived with my aunt in Mumbai for a couple of years when I started work. There used to be a cart by the gate outside the colony which was taken care by a lady who was a widow. She made such excellent Vadas- the taste still lingers on my tongue. To relish hot Vadas which is made in front of you has its own bliss.
Now when I think of it, during shopping breaks I preferred to have Pav Bhaji , Chatpata mumbai special sandwiches or Cheese loaded Sandwiches :) wonder why?

One will find a thela of Vada Pav outside every train station - I am sure thats the hottest spot that is there for a great business! Tired commuters who are always in a hurry to reach somewhere take a quick break indulging in a flavorful Vada Pav which will keep them full till next pang of hunger :)
Mumbai and Vada Pav are inseparable!


Thanks to my aunt who happens to be a great cook and my goto chef :) Its her recipe that I am sharing here.

So without any further delay lets check the recipe:

We will need following: please dont lose interest looking at the ingredients, :) it just has few steps but can be done in fairly good amount of time.

Ingredients:

Dipping Batter

• 1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp rice flour [for crispness]
• big pinch turmeric powder 
• 1 tsp chili pwd
• salt to taste 
• A pinch baking soda 
• water

In a mixing bowl, add all the above ingredients except water.
give it a toss - let everything mix.
Add water slowly taking breaks while you whisk the batter together. Let there be no lumps and get medium consistency batter. I dont like it too thick. Now let the batter rest for 15 plus minutes atleast while you get other things lined up.

For Dry Red Chutney 

• 4-5 cloves garlic fried in oil
• 1 tbsp red chili powder [adjust as you like]
• 1/2 cup peanuts slow roasted
• 1/2 cup boondi [ either store bought or while you make vadas, try to do some boondi with besan batter and use that]
• Salt to taste  

Grind coarsely all the above ingredients and your red dry chutney is ready!! Can be made before and kept. Also this can be used as a condiment and can reside happily in your kitchen pantry for other purposes :)

Red Dry Chutney

Vada Stuffing and Frying

• 3 med size boiled and mashed potatoes 
• 1 tbsp oil 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds 
• pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 10 curry leaves 
• 1 tbsp of green paste [For me this is the USP of any Vada: 1/2 inch ginger, 3-4 garlic, 2-3 green chili , 1 cup cilantro ground to paste]
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 1/4 th tsp turmeric powder 
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves for garnish 
• oil for frying

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat. 
• Add mustard seeds, as it splutters- add asafoetida, curry leaves 
• Add onion and saute for 2-3 minutes till translucent. And turmeric pwd, green paste. Stir for a minute.
• Add salt, then boiled potatoes. Mix every everything nicely.
• Add lemon juice, coriander leaves and mix well. Try not to add water, if need be add very little so that potatoes gets nicely mixed with the seasoning. Stuffing is ready. 
• Let it cool a little.
• Take small portion of stuffing and roll it in the shape of ball [makes around 8 balls] - as seen in the pic

For Frying

• Heat the oil and always fry the Vadas on medium heat. 
• Stir the dipping batter that has been resting well. 
• Dip the potato ball (Vada) in the batter. Coat the batter from all sides hold it on top of the batter bowl till excess batter drops down then slowly slide it in the oil and fry it from all the sides until you see nice fried orange color on it probably couple of minutes on each sides. 
• Using a slotted spoon take out the Vadas and place on paper towel to drain out excess oil

Serving:

Take a Pav, slice it in the center, slather dry red chutney, place your Vada and couple fried chillies with it. 

You may also like Misal Pav, Ragi Rotti, Pav Bhaji

Thank you for visiting my page. 

njoY cookinG! 

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