Authentic Vada Pav Recipe: How to Make Mumbai's Iconic Street Food at Home

abdul moiz khan
Authentic Vada Pav Recipe: How to Make Mumbai's Iconic Street Food at Home

Vada Pav is a popular Indian street food, especially in the state of Maharashtra. It consists of a spicy potato fritter (vada) served in a bun (pav) with chutneys. Here's a simple Vada Pav recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Potato Filling (Vada):

  • 4 large potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed
  • 2-3 green chilies, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons oil for tempering
  • Oil for deep frying

For the Gram Flour Batter:

  • 1 cup gram flour (besan)
  • A pinch of baking soda
  • Salt to taste
  • Water, as needed

For Assembling:

  • Pav (Indian bread rolls)
  • Green chutney (coriander and mint chutney)
  • Tamarind chutney
  • Garlic chutney (optional)
  • Thinly sliced onions (optional)

Instructions:

For the Potato Filling (Vada):

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
  2. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and curry leaves. Sauté for a minute.
  3. Add chopped green chilies and ginger-garlic paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes.
  4. Add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well and cook for 5-7 minutes. Let the mixture cool.

For the Gram Flour Batter:

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine gram flour, baking soda, and salt.
  2. Add water gradually and whisk to make a smooth batter. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

For Frying the Vadas:

  1. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan.
  2. Take a portion of the potato mixture, form it into a ball, and flatten it slightly to make a patty.
  3. Dip the patty in the gram flour batter, ensuring it's well coated, and gently slide it into the hot oil.
  4. Fry until the vadas are golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Assembling Vada Pav:

  1. Slit the pav horizontally but not all the way through.
  2. Spread green chutney on one side and tamarind chutney on the other.
  3. Optionally, spread garlic chutney for extra heat.
  4. Place a vada in the pav and press it gently.
  5. Serve with sliced onions and extra chutney on the side.

Enjoy your homemade Vada Pav, a delicious and iconic Indian street food!