Name: Vada Pav - Indian Street Food
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 100-150 Servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 8 kg Potatoes; 200 ml Cold Pressed Sesame Oil; 2 tbsp Mustard Seeds; 2 tbsp Cumin Seeds; 100 g Hand Ground Turmeric Paste; 1 large bunch Curry Leaves; 1 tbsp Asafoetida Powder; from 2 lemons Lemon Juice; to taste Crystal Salt; 500 g Fine Chopped Coriander Leaves; 2.5 kg Gram Flour; as needed Water; to taste Crystal Salt; 7 liters Cold Pressed Sesame Oil; 500 g Green Chillies; 100-150 pieces Pav Buns; 500 g Red Chili Powder (Dry Chutney); 1 liter Green Chutney (Coriander-Mint)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow each step to make the recipe successfully.

Boil the Potatoes
Pour 8 kg of potatoes into a large vessel. Wash the potatoes thoroughly with water. Transfer the washed potatoes to a large pot and place it over a wood fire. Boil the potatoes until they are tender, checking periodically with a spoon (around ).
Peel and Mash Potatoes
Once the potatoes are boiled, remove them from the pot. Carefully peel the skin off all the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes in a large tray and mash them using a potato masher until smooth. Ensure there are no large lumps.
Prepare Turmeric Paste
Grind 100g of fresh turmeric on a traditional stone grinder to make a smooth paste. This paste will be used for .
Prepare the Potato Tempering
Place a large pan (kadai) over the wood fire. Add 200 ml of cold-pressed sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add 2 tbsp of mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then, add 2 tbsp of cumin seeds. Stir well. Add the hand-ground turmeric paste and a large bunch of curry leaves. Finally, add 1 tbsp of asafoetida powder and mix everything thoroughly.
Combine Potatoes with Tempering
Add the mashed potatoes to the pan with the . Mix vigorously with a large wooden spatula, ensuring the is evenly distributed throughout the potatoes. Squeeze in the juice from 2 lemons, add crystal salt to taste, and sprinkle with 500g of fine chopped coriander leaves. Continue mixing until everything is well combined and heated through.
Form Potato Balls (Vada)
Transfer the potato mixture to a large tray and allow it to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, take small portions of the potato mixture and roll them into uniform, bite-sized balls.
Prepare Gram Flour Batter
In a large vessel, add 2.5 kg of gram flour. Gradually add water while mixing with your hand to form a smooth, thick batter. Add crystal salt to taste and mix until there are no lumps.
Deep Fry the Vadas
Place a large kadai over the wood fire and pour in 7 liters of cold-pressed sesame oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, dip each potato ball into the gram flour batter, ensuring it's fully coated. Carefully drop the batter-coated potato balls into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and crispy, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on a tray.
Fry Green Chillies
While the vadas are frying, cut 500g of green chilies. Once the vadas are done, use the same hot oil to deep fry the green chilies until they are slightly blistered and softened. Remove and place on a separate tray.
Prepare Pav Buns
Take 100-150 pav buns and carefully slice each bun horizontally, almost all the way through, creating a pocket for the filling.
Assemble Vada Pav
To assemble, take a sliced pav bun. Spread a generous amount of red chili powder (dry chutney) on one inner side of the bun. On the other inner side, spread a layer of green chutney. Place one fried potato vada in the center of the bun. Add a fried green chili on top of the vada. Close the bun to form the Vada Pav. Repeat for all buns.
Serve and Enjoy
Arrange the freshly made Vada Pavs on serving trays. Serve them immediately, optionally with additional fried green chilies and chutneys. The Vada Pavs are then served to the elderly at an old age home, accompanied by fresh fruits.

Before You Cook

Helpful details before you start

Spice LevelHot

Mustard · Green chili · Chili powder

Ingredient SubstitutionsMissing something? View suitable alternatives.

View 4 swaps

No Curry leaves?
- 1 bay leaf + a pinch of lemon zest — Aroma only — flavor is unique.
No Asafoetida (hing)?
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder + 1/4 tsp onion powder
No Lemon juice?
- Lime juice (1:1)
- 1/2 the amount white vinegar — In dressings, savory dishes.
No Cilantro?
- Flat-leaf parsley (1:1, milder)
- Fresh mint (in chutneys, salads)

AllergensThis recipe contains gluten and dairy and sesame.

glutendairysesame

Vada Pav - Indian Street Food

150 mins

Indian · Maharashtrian

60 min

90 min

100-150 Servings

~450 kcal

For Potato Filling (Vada)

For Gram Flour Batter

For Frying & Assembly

Boil the Potatoes

Peel and Mash Potatoes

Prepare Turmeric Paste

Prepare the Potato Tempering

Combine Potatoes with Tempering

Form Potato Balls (Vada)

Prepare Gram Flour Batter

Deep Fry the Vadas

Fry Green Chillies

Prepare Pav Buns

Assemble Vada Pav

Serve and Enjoy

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