Dec 6, 20232 min read

Vada Pav from Indian state Maharashtra

Vada pav, alternatively spelt wada pao, is a vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. The dish consists of a deep fried potato dumpling placed inside a bread bun (pav) sliced almost in half through the middle. It is generally accompanied with one or more chutneys and a green chili pepper. Although it originated as an affordable street food in Mumbai, it is now served in food stalls and restaurants across India. It is also called Bombay burger in keeping with its origins and its resemblance in physical form to a burger.

The most common theory of the vada pav's origin is that it was invented in the erstwhile mill-heartland of Central Mumbai. Ashok Vaidya of Dadar is often credited with starting the first vada pav stall outside Dadar railway station in 1966. Some sources credit Sudhakar Mhatre who started his business around the same time.[10] One of the earliest kiosks selling vada pav is said to be Khidki Vada Pav, located in Kalyan. It was started in the late 1960s by the Vaze family, who used to hand out vada pavs from a window (Khidki) of their house facing the road.

The carbohydrate-rich snack catered to the cotton mill workers of what was then known as Girangaon. This potato dumpling (batata vada) placed inside a pav was quick to make, cheap (~10-15 paisa in 1971), and much convenient over the batata bhaji and chapati combination, which couldn't be eaten in overcrowded local trains.

There are over 20,000 stalls selling vada pav in Mumbai. Mumbai alone has many variations of the food based on the locality. Large fast food restaurant chains such as Kunjvihar Jumbo King in Mulund and Goli Vada Pav also primarily serve vada pav. Outside of Mumbai, a variant of vada pav is pav vada which is famous in Nashik.

LETS GET COOKING:

Vada Pav

Course : Snack

Cuisine : Indian

Prep time : 10 minutes

Process time : 20 minutes

Total time : 30 minutes

Ingredients:

Buns - 2
Gram flour -1/4 cup
Rice flour 1/4 cup
Peanuts - 1/4 cup
Boil peel potato - 2
Green chili paste - 1 tsp
ginger - garluic paste -1 tsp
Garlic - 2
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Dried red chili - 2
Salt - 2 tsp
Oil - to fry

Instructions:

In a pan add oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, allow them to crackle, then add green chili paste, ginger-garlic paste, saute, then add boiled peeled mashed potato and salt to it, mix well. Make small ball size ball shapes and keep aside
In a bowl, add gram flour, rice flour with turmeric powder, salt and mix with water to thick paste
Now dip the masala potato balls into this batter and deep fry them. Keep aside
In a mixer jar, add toasted peanuts,garlic and dried red chili, grind into coarse powder
Cut the bun into half, apply peanut powder to it,place the fried potato and cover and press gently, then serve with fried green chilis

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