Vada Pao

Last month I happend to visit Mumbai. And when I am there I cannot afford to miss the vada pao. Although I make it at home but still I crave to eat it from a roadside stall there.  

Vada Pao the name itself says that it's a vada with a pao. A simple dish where a spicy potato vada a placed between fresh and soft bun along with spicy chutney and served hot.

So here is the recipe to it.

Vada Pao

Makes 10 pieces

Ingredients

10 Pao buns
Oil for deep frying

For Potato Filling
300 Gms Potato (Boiled and peeled)
1/2 tsp Oil (For tempering)
4 -5 Green Chillies (Finely Chopped)
8 - 10 Curry Leaves
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
Salt to taste
Pinch of Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (Finely Chopped)

For Vada Batter
1 Cup Besan (Gram Flour)
Pinch of each - Salt, Red Chilli Powder, Mitha Soda, Turmeric
6 - 7 tbsp of Water

Method

• In a bowl take besan and add salt, turmeric, soda and chilli powder. Mix the dry mixture. Now add water in turns to it and keep mixing. Do not make the batter very runny. Once done keep it aside.
• In a pan heat some oil. When it is hot put the mustard seeds. As they splutter add the chopped green chillies and curry leaves. 
• Now add the potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice.
• Smash the potatoes but not completely. Uneven chunks of potatoes in the filling looks and tastes good. Mix everything evenly and switch off the flame.
• Add chopped coriander to the filling mixture and mix well.
• Once the filling has cooled down , make 10 equal sized balls out of it.
• Now heat some oil in a pan for frying. 
• Dip each vada in to the batter and fry it on medium high flame till golden and crisp. Fry all the vadas similarly.

It's time to assemble the Vada Pao. Take a bun and slit it from between leaving one side uncut. Spread some Garlic chutney and place a hot vada over it. Again sprinkle some more garlic chutney on the vada and press the bun softly. Serve hot with some green chillies.

Do try it at home and bring this street food of Maharashtra to your kitchen. 

Share your experience with me in the the comments section below.

Till then,

Stay Happy Stay Healthy!