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Home » Indian Vegetarian Recipes » Street Food » Vada Pav

Vada Pav

Published: February 26, 2020. Modified: July 7, 2021 By Dhwani Mehta. This post may contain affiliate links. This blog generates income via ads.

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2 vada pav in a steel plate with fried green chilies and dry garlic chutney on the side
holding 2 vada pav with fried green chilies

Today’s recipe post is about one of the most popular Mumbai street food – Vada Pav! It is scrumptious, the best tea-time snack and so so tempting.  Grab vada pao and a steaming hot cup of tea on a rainy or cold day and you will be in taste heaven. 🙂

2 vada pav in a steel plate with fried green chilies and dry garlic chutney on the side

Bada pav is a vegetarian fast food dish and is also called Mumbai’s very own burger.

It originated as cheap street food in Mumbai but is now offered in stalls and restaurants throughout India.

This is those type of dish which is loved by one and all.

Jump to:
  • So what is Vada Pav?
  • This recipe has 6 components –
  • Preparation for Vada Pav –
  • Let’s see what ingredients are required –
  • Let see how to make Mumbai Style Vada Pav recipe with step by step pics!
  • Is this dish healthy?
  • A couple of more Mumbai’s roadside food recipes?
  • Vada Pav
  • Video

So what is Vada Pav?

  • Vada  means deep-fried potato patties
  • Pav means burger buns.

It is a spicy potato filling sandwiched between buns and layers of spicy garlic,  green chutney, and sweet chutney!

This recipe has 6 components –

  • Pav
  • Vada,
  • Dry garlic coconut chutney also is known as vada pav chutney
  • Green chutney
  • Sweet tamarind chutney
  • Fried chilies

I personally like to eat it with only red dry garlic chutney. But my husband and my son prefer it with all three chutneys.

You can skip the green and sweet chutney if you don’t like it or have no time for it but I highly recommend not skipping the garlic chutney. It is the most important ingredient and makes the vada pav tasty.

I would say it’s the heart and soul of this dish.

vada, bun, green fried chilies, sweet chutney, green chutney, dry garlic chutney served in a indian traditional serving ware

Preparation for Vada Pav –

There are 3 main steps.

  1. Make chutneys – Green chutney, sweet chutney, and dry garlic chutney
  2. Make Batata vadas (Deep fried potato balls)
  3. Assemble all together.

Step – 1 Making 3 chutneys

  1. Green chutney –

As we all know, green chutney is an integral part of so many Indian dishes especially chaat. I always have it in my refrigerator.

I always use my Mumbai sandwich chutney recipe to apply in vada pav. You may also use mint cilantro chutney.

  1. Tamarind and dates chutney | Sweet chutney

This chutney is also an essential dip for many Indian snacks. With green chutney, I always keep this chutney in my freezer.

  1. Dry Garlic chutney | Vada Pav chutney

This is a dry chutney made with lots of garlic, dry coconut flakes, sesame seeds, salt, and red chili powder.

It’s supposed to be quite spicy and one of the main chutneys for the vada pav. I like this chutney to be super spicy.

You can adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the chili powder depending on how spicy you want your chutney to be.

I would suggest you make this chutney in bulk. It tastes great when sprinkled on Dosa, sandwiches and on chilas too. 😉

Note –

  • This chutney has to be dry. But sometimes, because of the moisture present in the garlic makes it wet. If that happens, crush some more dry coconut and sesame seeds and add it into the chutney.
  • The color depends on the chili powder you use. To get the deep red color, use Kashmiri red chili powder.
  • You can substitute sesame seeds with peanut too or even you may add Sev.
dry garlic chutney served in a traditional ware, pav and vada on the sides

If you don’t have time to do all of these chutneys on one day, I suggest making them in advance. This way, you only have to make the batata vada when you want to eat it.

Saves so much time! All chutneys stay good in the refrigerator for a week and months in the freezer.

Step 2 – Making Batata Vada

Vada is made by deep-frying spiced potato balls. So you start by boiling the potatoes. Once the potatoes are boiled, mash them and then temper the mashed potatoes.

For that first, you need to crush the curry leaves, green chili, ginger, and garlic into a coarse paste and then tempered the potatoes with crushed paste, urad dal, mustard seeds, and asafetida.

Then make balls out of the potato mixture and then fry them in hot oil after coating them in a chickpea batter.

Step 3- How to eat? To assemble the Vada Pav.

Once you have all the components ready, you start by Appling all the 3 prepared chutneys on both sides of the pav.

Place the vada in between the two buns and serve with some more chutney and fried chilies.

holding 2 vada pav with fried green chilies

Let’s see what ingredients are required –

For dry Garlic Chutney

  • Dry grated coconut
  • Red Kashmiri chili powder
  • Garlic cloves
  • Sesame seeds
  • Salt to taste
pre-measured ingredients for dry garlic chutney

For Batata Vada

Potato balls

  • Boiled and mashed potatoes
  • Mustard seeds
  • Urad dal
  • Turmeric powder
  • Oil
  • Ginger
  • Green chili
  • Garlic
  • Curry leaves
  • Salt to taste
  • Cilantro/coriander
  • Pinch of Asafoetida
pre-measured ingredients for batata vada

For Outer covering

  • Chickpea flour | Besan
  • Salt to taste
  • Hing
  • Water
Pre measured ingredients for batata vada batter

Other Ingredients

  • Pav | Burger buns
  • Sweet chutney
  • Green chutney
  • Oil for frying the vada

Let see how to make Mumbai Style Vada Pav recipe with step by step pics!

For dry garlic chutney –

Grind all the ingredients (Garlic, coconut, chili powder, salt, and sesame seeds) together to a coarse powder. (Photo 1 to 6)

Making dry garlic chutney with garlic, salt, coconut, sesame seeds and chili powder

Take this out in a serving bowl. Your Dry Garlic Chutney is ready. Isn’t that very easy!!!!

garlic chutney for vada pav in a indian traditional servingware

For vada

In a mixer grinder jar, take garlic, curry leaves, ginger, and green chilies. Coarsely crush them and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal, fry them until golden brown in color. (Photo 8)

Now add mustard seeds, let it crackles. Add asafoetida, turmeric, the crushed mixture of garlic-ginger-chili-curry leaves. Saute it for one minute. (Photo 9 to 11)

Add salt and Potatoes. Mix them very well over medium heat and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes. (Photo 12 and 13)

Sprinkle cilantro and switch off the flame. Mix it very well and let it cool down completely. (photo 14)

Divide them into 12 equal parts. Shape into rounds. (photo 15)

Making batata vada in a nonstick pan

For outer covering, chickpea flour batter

Combine all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl and make a batter, not runny or not too thick. (photo 16 to 19)

making batata vada batter with chickpea flour, hing, salt and water

Dip each vada into the batter and coat the mixture well. (photo 20)

Heat the oil on medium to high heat. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. (Photo 21 and 22)

Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

deep Frying vada in oil

Assemble

Slice each pav into half and spread the 3 chutney (Sweet chutney, green chutney, and dry garlic chutney) both the side.

Place one vada in each pav.

Serve hot Vada Pav with green fried chilies.

Is this dish healthy?

No, this is not healthy as the vada is made with potato and fried. Plus the buns/pav we use is made with all-purpose flour.

But you can make this dish healthy by not frying the vada. Instead of frying the batata vada, make them in appe pan.

Or make Stuffed vada pav recipe.

vada pav from the front angle

A couple of more Mumbai’s roadside food recipes?

Pav bhaji

Toast sandwich

★ Have you tried this recipe? We’ll love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate and leave your feedback in the comment box below.

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vada pav from the front angle
Print
5 from 2 votes

Vada Pav

The most popular Mumbai popular street food – Vada Pav! Itis scrumptious, best and so so tempting. Grab vada pao and steaming hot cup of tea in rainy and cold day and you will be in taste haven. 🙂
Course Appetizer, Snack, Tea time Snacks
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Pav vada, Vada pav
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 vada pav
Calories 260kcal
Author Dhwani
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

For Dry Garlic Chutney

  • ¾ cup dry grated coconut
  • ¼ cup sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoon red kashmiri chili powder
  • ⅓ cup garlic cloves
  • ½ tablespoon salt or to taste

For Vada

  • 10-15 Curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoon Ginger
  • 2 tablespoon garlic cloves
  • 3 spicy green chilies (Use according to your taste)
  • 1 ½ tablespoon Oil
  • ½ tbsp urad dal
  • ½ tablespoon Mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • Pinch of Asafoetida
  • Salt to taste
  • 650 grams Boiled and mashed potatoes
  • ¼ cup Cilantro / coriander

For Outer covering | Besan(Chickpea flour) batter

  • 2 cup Besan | Chickpea flour
  • Salt to taste
  • Pinch of Asafoetida
  • 1 cup Water (Or as required)

Other Ingredient

  • Oil for Frying
  • 12 Pav
  • Sweet chutney
  • Green chutney

Instructions

For dry garlic chutney –

  • Grind all the ingredients (Garlic, coconut, chili powder, salt, and sesame seeds) together to a coarse powder.
  • Take this out in a serving bowl. Your Dry Garlic Chutney is ready. Isn't that very easy!!!! Keep it aside.

For vada

  • In a mixer grinder jar, take garlic, curry leaves, ginger, and green chilies. Coarsely crush them and keep it aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add urad dal, fry them until golden brown in color.
  • Now add mustard seeds, let it crackles. Add asafoetida, turmeric, the crushed mixture of garlic-ginger-chili-curry leaves. Saute it for one minute.
  • Add salt and Potatoes. Mix them very well over medium heat and cook it for 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Sprinkle cilantro and switch off the flame. Mix it very well and let it cool down completely.
  • Divide them into 12 equal parts. Shape into rounds.

For Outer covering | Besan(Chickpea flour) batter

  • Combine all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl and make a lump-free batter, not runny or not too thick.
  • Dip each vada into the batter and coat the mixture well.

Frying the vada

  • Heat the oil on medium to high heat. Deep fry the vada, few at a time, in hot oil until golden brown.
  • Drain on absorbent paper and keep aside.

Assemble

  • Cut each pav from the middle into half and spread the 3 chutney (Sweet chutney, green chutney, and dry garlic chutney) both the side.
  • Place one vada in each pav.
  • Serve hot Vada Pav with green fried chilies.

Video

Notes

  • Grinding the Ginger-garlic-curry leaves and green chilies for making batata vada is optional step. You can chop them into fine pieces and use.
  • Keep the batata vada size according to the size of pav|burger buns.
  • Apply chutneys according to your taste.
  • You can skip green and sweet chutney but DONT skip dry garlic chutney.
  • I have used 3 thai green chilies in vada and the spice level was ⅘. Use green chilies according to your taste.
  • The vada batter, it should not be thin or thick. Add little water at a time. See video for the consistency idea.
  • With remaining vada batter(besan batter), you can make add finely chop tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and some ginger-garlic-chili paste and make chillas.
  • Some prefer to heat up the pav with little butter before applying the chutney. But I like without heating up the pav. If you like, start by heating up the pav with the little butter and then follow the assembling process.

For dry garlic chutney

  • This chutney has to be dry. But sometimes, because of the moisture present in the garlic makes it wet. If that happens, crush some more dry coconut and sesame seeds and add it into the chutney.
  • The color depends on the chili powder you use. To get the deep red color, use Kashmiri red chili powder.
  • You can substitute sesame seeds with peanut too or even you may add Sev.
  • If you don’t have time to do all of the 3 chutneys on one day, I suggest making them in advance. This way, you only have to make the batata vada when you want to eat it.
  • Saves so much time! All chutneys stay good in the refrigerator for a week and months in the freezer.
  • You can also apply Schezwan chutney and make schezwan vada pav.

Is this dish healthy?

No, this is not healthy as the vada is made with potato and fried. Plus the buns/pav we use is made with all-purpose flour.
But you can make this dish healthy by not frying the vada. Instead of frying the batata vada, make them in appe pan.
Or make Stuffed vada pav recipe.
This recipe is updated with new content and pics, originally published in March, 2015.

Nutrition

Serving: 1vada pav | Calories: 260kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 462mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 458IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Share your feedback with pics @cookingcarnival or tag #cookingcarnival on Instagram or Facebook!

Warm regards,

Dhwani.

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