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Healthy Vada Pav recipe | Whole Wheat Vada Pav | Diet Vada Pav |
Tarla Dalal
30 September, 2016
Table of Content
Healthy Vada Pav recipe | Whole Wheat Vada Pav | Diet Vada Pav |
The Healthy Vada Pav is a revolutionary take on Mumbai's iconic street food, transforming a beloved indulgence into a guilt-free pleasure. Often celebrated as Whole Wheat Vada Pav or Diet Vada Pav, this recipe ingeniously reengineers the classic, offering a version with significantly less fat and fewer calories than its deep-fried counterpart. It's a testament to how traditional flavors can be preserved and even enhanced through thoughtful culinary modifications, making it accessible to health-conscious individuals without compromising on taste.
At the core of this healthier rendition are the vadas themselves. They start with boiled, peeled, and mashed potatoes, providing the familiar comforting texture. The flavoring begins with a tempering of oil with mustard seeds, followed by the aromatic additions of asafoetida (hing) and fragrant curry leaves (kadi patta). A punchy paste of finely chopped ginger (adrak), green chillies, and garlic (lehsun) is sautéed, infusing the potatoes with a vibrant, spicy kick. A pinch of turmeric powder (haldi) adds color and subtle earthiness, while salt and fresh finely chopped coriander (dhania) complete this savory potato filling.
The crucial modification that defines this Healthy Vada Pav lies in the cooking method of the vadas. Instead of the traditional deep-frying, these vadas are pan-cooked to golden perfection. Once the spiced potato mixture is cooled and shaped into round, flat vadas, each is dipped into a simple batter made from besan (Bengal gram flour), salt, turmeric powder, and water. They are then carefully placed on a hot broad non-stick panwith just 1/2 tsp of oil for cooking per vada. Cooked slowly with a lid, they achieve a beautifully golden-brown crust, mimicking the texture of fried vadas but with a fraction of the fat.
Serving the Healthy Vada Pav is as simple and satisfying as the original. Whole wheat ladi pavs are horizontally slit, providing a wholesome alternative to the refined flour version. A spread of sukhi lehsun ki chutney on the inner sides of the pav adds a vital burst of garlicky, spicy flavor that is quintessential to the vada pav experience. A hot, freshly cooked vada is then nestled within the chutney-lined pav, creating a perfectly assembled, ready-to-devour snack. This process is repeated for the remaining ingredients to make multiple servings.
The emphasis on health makes this Healthy Vada Pav suitable for a diverse audience. By avoiding deep-frying and using whole wheat pav, it drastically cuts down on fat and calories, making it a viable option for weight management and a Diet Vada Pav. The complex carbohydrates from the whole wheat and potatoes offer sustained energy, while the spices used in the vada filling contribute to good digestion.
For individuals with diabetes, the whole wheat pav and the reduced fat content are significant improvements over the traditional version, helping to manage blood sugar levels more effectively. While still an occasional treat due to its carbohydrate content, it's a far healthier alternative. Senior citizens can also enjoy this version, as it's less oily and potentially easier on digestion. The recipe notes the importance of serving immediately to preserve the vada's texture, ensuring that this beloved street food can be relished with much less guilt, truly marrying authentic taste with modern health consciousness.
Tags
Preparation Time
20 Mins
Cooking Time
10 Mins
Total Time
30 Mins
Makes
4 vada pavs
Ingredients
For The Vadas
1 1/2 cups boiled and mashed potatoes
2 tsp 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)
a pinch of turmeric powder (haldi)
salt to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)
1/2 tsp oil for cooking
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
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 on a medium flame for 1 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, flat vada.
- Dip each vada in the batter and place them in a hot broad non-stick pan.
- Cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 3 to 4 minutes, using ? tsp of oil per vada.
- Turn upside down, cover again and cook on a slow flame for another 3 to 4 minutes or till they turn golden brown in colour. Keep aside.
How to serve
- Slit a pav horizontally, apply a little 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.
Healthy Vada Pav recipe with step by step photos
Nutrient values (Abbrv)per plate
| Energy | 176 cal |
| Protein | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 26.3 g |
| Fiber | 5.4 g |
| Fat | 4.8 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 27.2 mg |
Click here to view Calories for Healthy Vada Pav
The Nutrient info is complete
nupur patel
March 13, 2025, midnight
Naresh Agarwal
March 13, 2025, midnight
excellant and easy to make
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Naresh, thanks for the feedback !!! keep reviewing recipes you loved.
Savita jain
March 13, 2025, midnight
Tarla Dalal
March 13, 2025, midnight
Hi Savita , we are delighted you loved the recipe. Please keep posting your thoughts and feedback and review recipes you have loved. Happy Cooking.
Foodie #593809
March 13, 2025, midnight
Foodie #666173
March 13, 2025, midnight
Loved the recipe. easy and tasty snack loved by all.
Shama
March 13, 2025, midnight
Yummy tummy with less fat. Kids loved Couldn?t find d difference between fried and this one
Uma
March 13, 2025, midnight
Can we have the recipe video?Thanks
neha
March 13, 2025, midnight
I can''t have besan atta. so what alternate flour I can use?
Rekha Ashok Tiwari
March 13, 2025, midnight
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