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Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food recipe, Mumbai Vada Pav

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Tarla Dalal

27 September, 2016

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Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food recipe, Mumbai Vada Pav

Table of Content

About Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food

Ingredients

Methods

Nutrient values

Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food recipe, Mumbai Vada Pav

Vada Pav stands as the quintessential Mumbai Street Food, an iconic snack that embodies the city's vibrant culinary spirit. More than just a dish, it's a cultural phenomenon, deeply ingrained in the daily lives of Mumbaikars. This humble yet incredibly satisfying offering, often simply referred to as Mumbai Vada Pav, brings together a medley of textures and bold flavors, representing the fast-paced yet soulful essence of the metropolis. Its widespread popularity ensures it's found on almost every street corner, ready to be savored by millions.

The heart of the Vada Pav lies in its delicious potato fritter, or 'vada'. The foundation for this savory delight is 1½ cups of boiled and mashed potatoes, providing a soft and yielding core. This potato base is infused with a burst of flavors from a traditional tempering, starting with 1 tbsp oil heated with sputtering ½ tsp mustard seeds, a fragrant pinch of ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing), and aromatic 5 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta). Freshly chopped aromatics like ½ tbsp ginger (adrak), ½ tbsp green chillies, and ½ tbsp garlic (lehsun) contribute a pungent freshness, balanced with salt to taste and a hint of turmeric powder (haldi) for color.

The preparation of the vada filling involves a simple yet crucial sautéing process. Once the mustard seeds crackle in the hot oil, the asafoetida and curry leaves are added, quickly followed by the fresh ginger, green chillies, and garlic, sautéed briefly to release their aromas. The boiled and mashed potatoes are then incorporated, seasoned with salt and turmeric powder, mixed thoroughly, and cooked for a minute while stirring continuously. Finally, 2 tbsp of finely chopped coriander (dhania) is stirred in, adding a fresh, herbaceous note. After cooling, the mixture is divided into four equal portions and deftly shaped into rounds.

To achieve the signature crispy exterior of the vada, each potato ball is dipped into a rich besan (Bengal gram flour) batter. This batter is simply made by mixing ¾ cup besan with salt to taste, a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi), and ¼ cup water to achieve a smooth, coating consistency. The prepared potato rounds are then submerged in this batter and deep-fried in hot oil until they turn a beautiful golden brown on all sides. Once perfectly crisp, they are drained on absorbent paper, ready to be nestled into the pav.

The final assembly of the Mumbai Vada Pav is a symphony of components. Four ladi pav (soft bread rolls), crucial for the authentic experience, are slit horizontally. The inner sides of the pav are generously spread with a trio of essential chutneys: the fiery sukhi lehsun ki chutney (dry garlic chutney), the fresh and spicy green chutney, and the sweet-tangy khajur imli chutney (date-tamarind chutney). A hot, freshly fried vada is then lovingly stuffed into this prepared pav, creating the ultimate handheld delight.

To complete the quintessential Mumbai Vada Pav experience, each serving is typically accompanied by 8 to 10 fried green chillies. These chillies are deep-fried until crisp and slightly whitish, offering an additional spicy kick for those who dare. Served immediately, a Vada Pav is more than just a snack; it's a balanced explosion of soft, crunchy, savory, spicy, and tangy flavors, encapsulating the very essence of Mumbai's famous street food culture in every satisfying bite.

Ingredients

For The Vadas

1 1/2 cups boiled and mashed potatoes

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

5 to 7 curry leaves (kadi patta)

1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger (adrak)

1/2 tbsp finely chopped green chillies

1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic (lehsun)

salt to taste

a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi)

2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

oil for deep-frying

To Be Mixed Together Into A Batter (for The Vadas)

3/4 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)

salt to taste

a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi)

1/4 cup water

For Serving

4 ladi pav

sukhi lehsun ki chutney

green chutney .

khajur imli chutney

8 to 10 fried green chilli , refer handy tip

Method

For the vadas

Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai and add the mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the asafoetida and curry leaves and sauté on a medium flame for a few seconds.
Add the ginger, green chillies and garlic and sauté on a medium flame for a few more seconds.
Add the potatoes, salt and turmeric powder, mix well and cook for a minute, while stirring continuously.
Add the coriander and mix well.
Remove from the flame and keep aside to cool.
Divide it into 4 equal portions and shape each portion into a round.
Heat the oil in a deep non-stick kadhai, dip each vada in the prepared batter and deep-fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown in colour from all the sides. Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

Handy tip:

Deep-fry the green chillies in hot oil till they become crisp and slightly whitish in colour. Drain on absorbent paper and serve with vada pav.

How to serve

Slit a pav horizontally, apply a little khajur imli ki chutney, green chutney and sukhi lehsun ki chutney on the inner sides of the pav and stuff with a hot vada.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make 3 more vada pavs.
Serve immediately with fried green chillies.

Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food recipe, Mumbai Vada Pav Video by Tarla Dalal

Vada Pav, Mumbai Street Food recipe with step by step photos

Your Rating*

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Payal Parikh 86

Jan. 27, 2022, 12:26 a.m.

This vada pav recipe is just like the vada pav''s you get outside, i love these with dry garlic chutney and piping hot.

Sammy

Oct. 12, 2020, 4:33 p.m.

Tried this recipe numerous times. It is the recipe I refer for making vada Pav. Good one. In the besan batter I also add some rice flour to make it crispier.