Vada pav
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A spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with garlic chutney: Mumbai's favourite street snack.
Region: Mumbai and MaharashtraOccasion: Street food; snack at any timeTime: 40 minServes: 6Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 4 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
- 4 green chillies and 1-inch ginger, crushed
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- A sprig of curry leaves
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander
- 1 cup besan (gram flour)
- A pinch of baking soda
- Oil for deep-frying
- 6 pav
- Dry garlic chutney and green chutney to serve
- Fried green chillies (optional)
Method
- Heat 1 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves, then the crushed chillies, ginger and garlic.
- Add turmeric and the mashed potato with salt and coriander. Mix well and shape into 6 balls.
- Make a thick batter of besan, a pinch of turmeric, soda, salt and water.
- Dip each ball in the batter and deep-fry in hot oil until golden.
- Slit the pav, spread both chutneys inside and put a hot vada in each. Serve with fried chillies.
History
Vada pav grew up as cheap, filling food for Mumbai's mill workers and office commuters in the 20th century. The pav, a soft bread roll, came to western India with the Portuguese.
Significance
Sold outside almost every railway station in Mumbai, vada pav is often called the city's own fast food.