Vada Pav/Batata Vada

The most popular street-food of Mumbai – potato vadas served sandwiched in pavs and served with a spicy chutney


Ingredients

Potatoes, boiled and mashed 6 large
Garlic paste 1 tablespoon
Green chilli paste 1 1/2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida a pinch
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 1/4 bunch
Salt
Pav 8
Gram flour (besan) 1 1/4 cups
Soda bicarbonate a small pinch
Red chilli powder 2 1/2 teaspoons
Oil 1 tablespoon + to deep fry
Dry coconut (khopra), grated 3 tablespoons
Garlic 4-6 cloves
Boondi 1/2 cup


Method


For red chutney, grind together in a mixer, grated coconut, two tablespoons of red chilli powder and garlic. Heat oil in a pan and add this mixture to it and sauté for a minute, add the gram flour crumbs and mix well and remove from the heat. Season with salt. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl, mix mashed potatoes, garlic paste, green chilli paste, one forth teaspoon turmeric powder, asafoetida, lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and salt.

Make eight equal sized balls of the above mixture. Set aside.

Take gram flour in a bowl, add soda bicarbonate, remaining turmeric powder, half a teaspoon of red chilli powder and salt. Heat one-tablespoon oil and add it to the gram flour mixture. Add just sufficient water to make a coating consistency batter. Rest it for fifteen minutes.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai. Dip the potato mixture balls in the batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown in colour. Remove and place on an absorbent paper.

Slit Pavs horizontally not slicing it completely, spread the red chutney on the inner sides of the pav and stuff it with hot vadas. Serve hot.