Step-by-Step Instructions

1. 1.Boil and Peel Potatoes

   Pour 5 kg of potatoes into a large vessel. Wash the potatoes thoroughly with water until clean. Transfer the washed potatoes to a large pot, add water, and place it over a wood fire to boil. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Once boiled, remove the potatoes from the hot water and peel their skins.

2. 2.Mash Potatoes

   Place the peeled potatoes in a large tray. Using potato mashers, mash the potatoes until smooth. Ensure there are no large lumps.

3. 3.Prepare Coriander and Turmeric Paste

   Wash a large bunch of coriander leaves. Finely chop the coriander leaves. Grind fresh turmeric root on a traditional stone grinder, adding a little water as needed, to form a smooth paste.

4. 4.Prepare Tempering for Potato Filling

   Place a large kadai (wok) over the wood fire. Add 100 ml of cold-pressed sesame oil to the kadai and let it heat up. Once hot, add 2 tablespoons of mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add 2 tablespoons of cumin seeds. Pour in the hand-ground turmeric paste. Add 2 large bunches of curry leaves and 1 teaspoon of asafoetida powder. Stir well and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

5. 5.Combine Potatoes with Tempering

   Add the mashed potatoes to the kadai with the tempering. Mix everything thoroughly using a large wooden spoon, ensuring the spices are evenly distributed. Squeeze in the juice from 2 lemons. Add crystal salt to taste. Finally, add the fine chopped coriander leaves and mix again until well combined. Cook for another 5-7 minutes until the mixture is heated through and slightly dry.

6. 6.Form Potato Balls (Vadas)

   Transfer the potato mixture to a large tray to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, take small portions of the potato mixture and roll them into uniform small balls, about 1.5-2 inches in diameter.

7. 7.Prepare Gram Flour Batter

   In a large vessel, add 1 kg of gram flour. Gradually add water while mixing with your hand to form a smooth, thick batter. Ensure there are no lumps. Add crystal salt to taste and mix well.

8. 8.Deep Fry Vadas

   Place a large kadai over the wood fire and add 2 liters of cold-pressed sesame oil for deep frying. Heat the oil until it's hot enough (a small drop of batter should sizzle and rise immediately). Dip each potato ball into the gram flour batter, ensuring it's fully coated. Carefully drop the coated potato balls into the hot oil. Fry in batches until the vadas are golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per batch. Remove the fried vadas with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray.

9. 9.Fry Green Chillies

   Take 200g of green chilies and make a small slit in each. Carefully add the slit green chilies to the hot oil and fry for 1-2 minutes until they are slightly blistered and softened. Remove them from the oil and place them on a separate tray.

10. 10.Assemble Vada Pav

    Take a pav bun and slice it horizontally, but not all the way through, creating a pocket. On one side of the bun, spread a generous amount of red chili garlic chutney powder. On the other side, spread the green mint-coriander chutney. Place one fried vada inside the bun. Add a fried green chili on top of the vada. Close the bun to complete the Vada Pav.

11. 11.Serve and Share

    Arrange the freshly prepared Vada Pavs on trays. Serve the delicious Vada Pavs to the residents of the old age home, accompanied by fresh fruits.