Vada Pav: A monsoon quintessential
Vada Pav, often called Mumbai's iconic street food, is a spicy, savoury delight that packs a punch - a golden-fried potato patty, bursting with flavourful spices, nestled in a soft bun smeared with tangy chutney. It's a quick, delicious bite that captures the vibrant energy of India's bustling streets!
Pairing a piping hot vada pav with a cup of masala chai is a monsoon ritual for many. The spicy, tangy flavours balanced with the warmth of the tea make for an unforgettable gastronomic experience amidst a lush green the greenery, rain-soaked streets and foggy weather!
So here's what you will need:
Ingredients (for the "vada" or the potato patty)
2-3 large boiled potatoes
ginger paste, crushed garlic
fresh coriander (finely chopped)
green chillies (finely chopped)
cooking oil, mustard seeds, asafoetida (hing) and a pinch of turmeric (for the tempering)
lemon juice
salt to taste
For the batter: Besan, termuric, chilli powder, baking soda and salt
2-3 green chilies
Method
Mash the potatoes and keep aside
Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the asafoetida and turmeric and give it a good stir.
Add the mashed potatoes to the tempering and mix and add the salt (to taste).
Add the coriander and lemon juice and green chillies and prepare the stuffing by mixing the ingredients well.
Prepare the batter
In another bowl, take 1 cup besan (gram flour), ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder.
Then add 1 pinch baking soda and ½ teaspoon salt or add as per taste.
Add ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon water in parts and whisk the mixture.
Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or wok. Keep the flame to medium.
When the oil becomes hot in the pan, then take ¼ to ½ teaspoon hot oil from the pan and add it to the batter. Mix very well.
Take a potato vada and dip it in the besan batter.
Gently coat it with the batter evenly all over.
Do not overcrowd the kadai. Add vadas depending on the size of the kadai. Fry on medium flame.
When one side becomes opaque, firms up, lightly crisp and light golden, turn each vada with a slotted spoon. Continue to fry the second side.
Remove fried potato vada with a slotted spoon.
Place them on kitchen paper towels. This way fry the remaining batches of vadas.
In the same oil, fry 2 to 3 green chilies. Do slit each green chili before frying so that they don’t burst in the oil while frying.
In the same oil, fry 2 to 3 green chilies. Do slit each green chili before frying so that they don’t burst in the oil while frying.
Fry till the green chilies become lightly crisp and faintly golden.
Once the green chilies become warm, then sprinkle some salt on them. Mix salt with the green chilies.
Serve batata vada hot or warm with the fried salted green chilies, sweet tamarind chutney, coconut chutney and coriander chutney.
You can also serve these delicious batata vadas with pav (dinner rolls) or burger buns or bread. You can also stuff them inside the burger buns or bread slices.