V(w)ada Pav

Life is not normal in Mumbai without vada pav. It is the most popular dish in Mumbai. It is a scrumptious snack sold everywhere ubiquitously in Maharashtra. Vada pav is the Mumbai’s burger. It is a combination of Batata vada and split pav (bun). Batata vada is boiled mashed potatoes with masalas dipped in besan batter and deep fried. This vada is stuffed in pav with chutneys and dry red chutney. Vada pav is also served with fried green chillies.

Method:

Vada:
Stuffing masala:
Potatoes – 4 (medium – boiled and mashed)
Green chillies – 3 (medium-crushed &minced)
Garlic – 1 cloved (minced)
Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
Garam masala – ¼ teaspoon
Lemon juice – ½ teaspoon
Asafoetida – 2 pinch
Coriander leaves – 2 teaspoon (chopped)
Salt as required
Oil

Batter:
Gram flour or besan – 1 cup
Red chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Baking soda – 2 pinch
Salt as required

Method:
Combine the batter ingredients in a bowl and add water.
Merge till it becomes thick consistency. Keep the bowl aside.
In a pan heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. Then toss in the garlic and green chillies and sauté.
Throw in the mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, asafetida, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
Sauté this mixture for 1 minute and finally pour the lemon juice. Remove from heat. Keep the mixture out of the way. Let it chill.
Deep frying the vada:
Heat the oil in a kadai for deep frying.
Segregate the potato masalas into equal portions and shape into balls.
Immerse this ball in the batter and drop it in the oil (repeat the same process for all the balls).
Fry on both sides and take out when it's golden color.

Chutneys:

Dry garlic chutney:
Garlic – 2 big cloves
Dry coconut Or Kopra (grated) – ¼ cup
Red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon
Oil – ½ teaspoon
Salt as required

Method:
Heat the oil in a small kadai.
Sauté the garlic and dry grated coconut in a low medium flame.
When the coconut changes into golden color, remove from the fire.
Add the garlic, grated coconut, red chilli powder and required salt and grind them.

Sweet and sour chutney:
Tamarind – 1 tablespoon
Dates – 8 (pitted)
Jaggery – 2 to 4 tablespoons
Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
Salt – ¼ teaspoon
Black salt - 1 pinch (I didn’t use this ingredient)

Method:

Boil the tamarind, dates, jaggery and salt in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes.
Cool.
Add this to the blender and blend.
Strain this mixture.
Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, and black salt and mix them up well.

Green chutney:
Coriander leaves – 15 sprigs(or) few with tender stems
Mint leaves – 10 leaves
Tamarind pulp – 1 teaspoon
Green chillies – 2
Salt as required
Sugar – ¼ teaspoon

Method:
Toss all these in the blender and blend by adding little water!

Photos (for adding the chutneys).

Tamarind chutney is added.

Then Dry Garlic Chutney is added.

After that, the Green Chutney is added.

Then the vada is stuffed in the pav.

Finally, it's ready! And press the vada and serve!

Note: Adjust the red chilli powder ,garlic and green chilli according to your taste.

I'm sending this recipe to the Sunday Snacks - Chaats/Indian Street Foods. Click on the picture for details.

Posted in: Chutney, Snacks, Veg