Description
Uncover amazing Mumbai vada pav secrets and thrilling street food adventures. Get ready for an authentic culinary journey through Mumbai's lanes.
Ingredients
For the Besan Batter:
2 cups besan (gram flour)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
A pinch of baking soda
Water (enough to make a smooth batter)
For the Aloo Vada Stuffing:
4-5 medium potatoes (boiled & mashed)
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 tbsp garlic-green chili paste (around 5-6 chilies and 6-7 garlic cloves)
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Handful of fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
For the Sukhi (Dry) Red Garlic Chutney:
7-8 garlic cloves
1 cup boondi (made from besan batter)
Salt to taste
1 tbsp red chili powder
For the Green Chutney:
1 cup fresh coriander
5-6 green chilies
1-inch ginger
5-6 garlic cloves
Salt & lemon juice to taste
A few ice cubes and a little water to grind
Additional:
Pav buns (6-8)
Oil for frying
Tamarind chutney (optional, for extra zing)
Instructions
Making the Batter:
- Combine dry ingredients: besan, carom seeds, turmeric
- Add baking soda & salt to taste
- Gradually add water while whisking to prevent lumps
- Achieve coating consistency - should coat your finger when dipped
- Rest batter for 10-15 minutes to develop better texture
Preparing the Red Garlic Chutney:
- Heat oil to 350 F test with a small batter drop.
- Add a thin layer of batter to the oil to create strands of batter in the oil.
- Fry the batter until it turns light golden and then remove it from the oil and set aside. We will use this boondi make the red garlic chutney.
- Add a few cloves of garlic in the oil and quickly remove it.
- In a dry grinder, add boondi, garlic cloves, red chili powder & salt to taste. Grind into a coarse mixture and keep aside.
Preparing the Green & Tamarind Chutney:
- Green Chutney: In a blender, blitz together fresh cilantro, green chilies, ginger, garlic and salt along with ice cubes and water (if needed). Follow the detailed recipe here.
- Sweet Tamarind Chutney: Follow the detailed recipe here
Preparing the Potato Filling:
- Peel & mash the boiled potatoes while still warm to avoid and remove lumps.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat
- Add tempering ingredient: cumin and mustard seeds
- Wait for spluttering, then add curry leaves, and crushed garlic and green chilies
- Sauté until fragrant (30 seconds)
- Add in the spices: turmeric, salt to taste
- Add lemon to add a tangy flavor to the potato filling
- Combine tempering with mashed potatoes & add chopped coriander
- Cool completely before shaping.
Frying The Vada:
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C) - test with a small batter drop
- Shape potato mixture into lemon-sized balls and flatten them.
- Dip each ball in batter ensuring complete coating
- Gently slide into hot oil - fry 3-4 vadas at a time
- Turn occasionally until golden brown all over (4-5 minutes)
- Drain on paper towels to remove excess oil
- Fry a few green chilies to add some additional spice to the Vada pav
Assembly
- Slice pav horizontally without cutting completely through.
- Spread green chutney on one side of pav
- Apply sweet chutney on the other side
- Place hot vada between the pav halves
- Add some Red garlic chutney on top of the vada with the fried green chili
- Serve immediately with red garlic chutney on the side
