Vada Pav

Method

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1. Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, then the cumin and curry leaves.

   Mark done

2. Add the ginger-garlic paste and green chillies for 90 seconds, then the turmeric.

   Mark done Start 90 sec timer

3. Fold in the mashed potato, salt, coriander and lemon juice and cook 3 minutes. Cool, then shape into 8 balls.

   Mark done

4. For the dry chutney, toast the coconut in a dry pan until golden, then blitz with the garlic, chilli powder and salt to a coarse powder.

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5. Whisk the gram flour, turmeric, chilli, bicarbonate and salt with enough water to make a smooth batter the thickness of double cream. Beat it hard for 2 minutes to aerate.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

6. Heat the frying oil to 180°C / 350°F.

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7. Dip each potato ball into the batter, letting the excess drip off, and lower it into the oil.

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8. Fry 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until pale gold and crisp. Drain on a rack.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

9. Split each pav, spread green chutney on one side and tamarind on the other, sprinkle dry garlic chutney inside, add the vada, and press. Serve with a fried green chilli.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Beat the batter to aerate it. A flat batter gives a heavy, greasy shell.
• The dry garlic chutney is the signature. Without it this is just a fritter sandwich.
• Eat within minutes of frying, which is exactly how it is sold.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• A pinch of dried chilli flakes works in place of fresh chilli — start with about a third of the quantity the green chillies in the list implies, since dried chilli is more concentrated, and add more to taste.
• A quarter-teaspoon of ground ginger per tablespoon of fresh is the standard ratio if you are working from the spice rack rather than a fresh root.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.

Pairing Suggestions

• Cutting chai
• A fried green chilli with salt
• More vada pav

Storage & Reheating

Vadas keep 2 days and re-crisp at 200°C / 390°F for 6 minutes. The chutneys keep a week.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.