If you have visited India and especially Mumbai, you must have seen many road- side stalls for Vada Pav. Vada is a name for anything that is round in shape and fried..and Pav is the bread or dinner roll in hindi.

Indian Vegetarian Burger

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Usually I visit India in July-August time frame, at that time it is Monsoon  in India. When we drive from Mumbai to Pune, you go through the Western Ghats, the mountain are covered in lush green carpet, you see beautiful streams bouncing down the mountain side. The air is clean and crisp, and as you are enjoying this all, you smell Hot Vada Pav being made somewhere.

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Vada Pav is a popular street food of India, especially Maharashtra.  Vada is a name for anything that is round in shape and fried..and Pav is the bread or dinner roll in hindi. There are some foods which I can eat anytime of the day, many times in the week and still enjoy and love the same. Vada Pav is definitely one of them. In fact, whenever I visit India Vada Pav is the first food I eat.

When you travel by train any station the train stops at, you will find the vendors selling vada pav. On a piece of paper with some spicy hot green chilies.

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It is a very easy recipe and typically most of the ingredients are available at home so anytime you crave it, you can make it quickly.

Vada Pav

Indian vegetarian Burger

Ingredients

Ingredients:

Filling

  • 3  potatoes boiled and diced I have used russet potatoes
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped optional
  • 6-8 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 tsp grated ginger
  • 4-5 green chilies
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • a few curry leaves
  • 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • Sugar to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp lime juice

Batter:

  • 1 cup of besan bengal gram flour
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 tsp oil
  • Couple of pinches of baking soda
  • Oil to fry

Instructions

Method

Filling

  1. Peel the potatoes and dice them in small pieces. Make sure the potatoes are cooled before you dice them, else they can get sticky. Slightly mash them with the back of a fork.
  2. Pound the garlic and green chilies with a little bit of salt into a coarse paste.
  3. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. As soon as they splutter, add curry leaves and turmeric. Add onions if using and saute them till they are light brown in color. Dont let them burn at all.
  4. Add the chili-garlic paste and saute for 15-20 secs. Turn the heat off
  5. Add the potatoes mixture, salt, sugar and lime juice. Mix well, and taste to adjust the seasoning.

Batter

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the batter except the baking soda well, make sure there are no lumps. When you are ready to fry the vada, add the baking soda and set aside for 5 mins.
  2. Make lemon size balls of the potato mixture.
  3. Dip the balls in the batter and fry on medium heat till golden brown.

Serve with dry garlic chutney. You can also use tamarind chutney or Mint chutney as a spread on the bread before making a sandwich with the Vada.

Recipe Notes

Serve with dry garlic chutney. You can also use tamarind chutney or Mint chutney as a spread on the bread before making a sandwich with the Vada.

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