Vada Pav is the most popular street food from the city of Mumbai. Vada pav, often called the “Indian burger,” is Mumbai’s beloved street food sensation. This iconic dish combines a spicy potato fritter (Vada) nestled in a soft dinner roll (pav) with a medley of flavorful chutneys and a heap of besan chura. It’s a delightful burst of flavors and textures, perfect with a cup of Masala Chai.

What is Vada Pav?

As everyone knows VADA PAV – a deep-fried ball of spiced potatoes between a fluffy dinner roll—is a popular food from Mumbai but i first discovered during my college time. I had VADA PAV very first time in my city Surat, Gujarat. There was a famous vendor who was selling the best Vada pav and it was the best i can say. There was something so incredibly pleasing about the contrast of the soft bread with the crispness of the potato. Two different chutneys—one garlic and the other cilantro—made the snack even more enticing. I fell in love with it straightaway. 

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 The vada pav is one of the most popular street foods from Mumbai. A cheap grab-and-go meal for the many workers of Mumbai, vada pav is eaten throughout the day, and many stalls offer them freshly-made all day long.

How to make Vada Pav at home?

Making Vada Pav is so easy at home. After moving in states, it was hard to get the same Pav as i used to eat in India for Vada Pav. But, my husband loves vada pav so i always make them in burger buns. For vadas i like to use Idaho potatoes which is so good not too dry and not too watery. To make vadas, boil potatoes and temper some spices in pan and mix with potatoes. The batter should have a consistency similar to that of pancake batter. Too thick, and you’ll end up with an overly doughy exterior that won’t crisp up properly. Too thin, and there won’t be enough batter to cover the vadas. You want something in-between that’s just liquidy enough to evenly coat the vadas so you can taste the batter without it getting soggy. 

The chutneys add magic to the vada pav. The one made with coriander and mint is refreshing, light, and vibrant, and brings necessary sharpness to counter the heaviness of the potatoes, while the garlic chutney brings a rich, savory note. Together with the vada and fried green chile, the flavors and textures are truly sensational. It’s no surprise that the vada pav is loved by all and that it is increasingly becoming more popular around the world.

Tips for Authentic Mumbai Vada Pav

1. Spice Level: Adjust the number of green chilies in the potato filling and the amount of red chili powder in the dry garlic chutney to suit your spice preference.
2. For extra crispy vadas, add a tablespoon of rice flour to the gram flour batter.
3.  When coating the vada with batter, ensure you create a thin, even layer around it. Use a spoon to lift the vada from the batter, tilting the spoon sideways to remove any excess batter while maintaining an even coating. The spoon also allows you to safely add the vada to the hot oil.
4. Chutneys: Homemade chutneys add authentic flavor. They can also be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator. While optional, my mom always added the sweet tangy tamarind chutney to balance the spicy flavors of the batata wada and other chutneys.

Mumbai Street Style Vada Pav – Flavorsofmykitchen

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Shruti Naik Course: SnacksCuisine: Indian

Servings

4

People

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Total time

45

minutes

Vada Pav is the most popular street food from the city of Mumbai. Vada pav, often called the “Indian burger,” is Mumbai’s beloved street food sensation. This iconic dish combines a spicy potato fritter (Vada) nestled in a soft dinner roll (pav) with a medley of flavorful chutneys and a heap of besan chura. It’s a delightful burst of flavors and textures, perfect with a cup of Masala Chai.

Ingredients

• For Cilantro Chutney:

• 2 cups cilantro

• 1/4 cup mint leaves

• roasted Bengal gram

• peanuts

• chat masala

• black salt

• sugar

• lemon juice

• sev

• ginger and chili

• For Vadas:

• 3 to 4 medium sizes potatoes

• 2 tbsp ginger garlic chili paste

• oil

• mustard seeds

• curry leaves

• asafetida

• salt

• lemon juice

• turmeric

• For the Batter:

• 1/2 cup gram flour

• pinch baking soda

• salt

• turmeric

• water

• For the Garlic Chutney:

• 4 medium cloves (20g) garlic

• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

• 1/2 teaspoon ground red chile powder, such as Kashmiri

• fried batter just like boondi size.

• Sweet Chutney:

• To Cook and Assemble:

• vada pav or pav bhaji Pav

• oil or butter

Directions

• For the Cilantro Chutney: In a food processor, blend cilantro, mint, green chiles, peanuts, salt, sugar, lemon juice, and water until smooth, using a rubber spatula to scrape down as needed, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
• For Vadas: Boil the potatoes in instantpot or pressure cooker. After potatoes cooked, peel them off and keep it aside. Transfer cooked potatoes to a large mixing bowl and using a potato masher, mash until no big chunks remain. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add asafetida, turmeric, crushed cumin and coriander seeds, ginger, green chili, and curry leaves, and cook for one minute. Add the potatoes and salt.
• Potato Filling & Shaping the Vada – Mix well while mashing with the back of a spatula or a masher. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice, then garnish with cilantro. Mix well and let it cool down. This is your spicy, flavor-packed potato filling. Shape the mixture into flat vadas about 2 inches wide and ½-inch thick. Make 10 to 12 vadas.
• Batter – Add besan to a mixing bowl. Lightly crush the ajwain seeds by rubbing them between your palms to release their aroma, then add them to the bowl along with turmeric and salt. Add a little bit of water at a time and mix well to create a smooth, flowy batter. Finally, add baking soda and give it a quick stir.
• Frying Batata Vada – Dip the shaped vada one at a time into the batter. Use a spoon to generously coat it on all sides, lift and tilt the spoon to remove any excess batter, to create a thin layer of coating around the vada. Carefully add the vada to the hot oil using the spoon. Repeat with another 2 or 3 vadas.
• Fry until golden brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes, turning halfway through. Fry the remaining vadas in batches.
• Red Garlic Chutney
• Vada Pav Garlic Chutney – Add garlic, fried chura, coconut, salt, and Kashmiri red chili powder to the grinder jar. Grind until all the ingredients are well incorporated, forming a slightly coarse chutney.
• Serving
• Once all the components are ready get ready to assemble the Vada Pav.
• Slice the pav in the center without cutting it all the way through.
• Spread green chutney on one side and tamarind chutney on the other.
• Spread garlic chutney on the bottom, place a vada over it, and add a generous heap of besan chura on top.
• Add a green chili on top, then gently press the pav closed.

Recipe Video

Notes

• Store leftover chutneys in the refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for a longer shelf life. I like to portion them into silicone bag and thaw a few cubes at a time as needed.
• Refrigerate leftover fried Vada for 2 to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. To thaw, place them in the refrigerator overnight. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds to reheat.