Mumbai Vada Pav Recipe

Today I am going to visit into uncharted territory of such a staple  recipe whose origins are diametrically opposite to my ethnic city Kolkata. It's none other than vada pav from Mumbai. this doesn't need any introduction....Mumbai ultimate street food symbol : a potato cutlet in a bun. During my last visit to Mumbai, I realized that this humble meal of potato fritters thrust inside a bun is what energizes the Mumbaikars ( Mumbai Residents). 

From Rich to Middle Class to Poor all of them are smitten by this dish. Even my younger sister who lives in Mumbai, when she comes home late from work and does not have the urge to cook, she has the 1st instinct to head to a nearest vada pav joint. Delicious food at reasonable price is unbelievable. I make pavs at home so on most days I make them a day ahead to fasten up the process. I am going to post "how to make dinner rolls /Pavs " so stay tuned ....Til then sharing the aloo bondas. 

Ingredients:
5-6 Potatoes, boiled
2-3 Green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp chopped Ginger
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Turmeric powder
Fistful of Curry leaves, chopped roughly 
A big pinch of Asafoetida
2 tbsp chopped Cilantro leaves
2 tsp fresh Lemon juice
Salt to taste 
Oil for frying the vadas

For Outer Coating:
1 cup Gram flour /Besan 
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 
 A pinch of Baking soda
2 tsp Hot Oil 
Salt to taste

You will get approx 9-10 vadas with the above quantity depending upon the size of balls you make. You can use store bought Pavs for this. Or wait till I post "How to Make Pavs".

Method:
Take boiled potatoes in a large bowl and roughly peel and mash it coarsely. Keep aside. In a pan heat 2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and asadoetida /hing. When the mustard seeds starts spluttering add curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and turmeric powder. Fry for a minute and then add potatoes and stir fry the mixture for another 5-6 minutes on low flame. Add cilantro, salt and mix well. Remove from heat and let this mixture cool. Add lemon juice only when the mixture is cooled down. Keep aside. 

To prepare the outer coating you need to take a bowl and mix together all the ingredients (Don't forget to add 2 tsp oil. Now with the help of little water make a thick batter. Heat a deep frying pan with enough oil to fry the vadas. The oil temperature should be hot, to check just drop a small besan batter and it should sizzle and rise to the top but not get browned right away. 
Divide the batter into small size balls and dip one ball at a time in the gram flour batter coating all sides. Gently lift the batter coated ball and slip in the hot oil. Do not over crowd the pan, I do it one at a time. Now fry it both sides till it turn golden brown. 

Blot the excess oil on a paper towel. Fry the remaining vadas in the same process. Take Pavs(dinner rolls) cut horizontally by taking cake one end is still joined. Spread some Green chutney, Dry Garlic chutney place a vada and have this with fried green chilles. 

For fried Green Chillies you just need some chillies, salt and some salt. Just slit the green chilles vertically, deep fry them and sprinkle some salt on them. Just put them inside the vada pavs and dig in !!!

How To Make Dry Garlic Chutney:
9-10 Garlic, peeled
5-6 Dry whole red chillies
4 tbsp grated dry Coconut/ Copra
1 tsp Sesame seeds
7-8 Peanuts
1 tsp Salt or to taste
1 tsp Oil

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and fry garlic pods until light brown. With the help of slotted spoon remove the galic pods and place them on a kitchen towel. In the remaining oil fry dry coconut till it is light brown. Add sesame seeds after few seconds and saute for another minute. Switch off the burner and let this mixture cool. Grind the red chillies + fried garlic pods +coconut mixture along with salt and peanuts. DO NOT ADD WATER. Dry Garlic chutney is ready. This chutney has long shelf life so you can store it in an air tight container. Don't use a wet spoon.