Vada Pav

A traditional Indian street food, these fried potato patties (vada) are served on soft sweet rolls (pav) and topped with an array of flavorful chutneys.

Ingredients

Procedure

Crunchy Garlic Chutney

1. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, add minced garlic and fry until it begins to brown, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. To the same pan, add coconut flakes and cook until evenly toasted. Remove from pan and set aside. Add crushed red pepper and cook until evenly toasted, remove from pan. Repeat with sesame seeds. Set aside.
3. In a food processor combine fried garlic, toasted coconut, toasted red pepper and sesame seeds, Kashmiri chili powder, and salt. Process until coarsely ground. Store in an airtight container for service.

Tamarind Chutney

1. In a sauce pot combine water, tamarind paste, jaggery, sugar, ginger, cumin, coriander, fennel, cayenne, and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to cook until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat.
2. Transfer to blender and blend until smooth. Strain through a mesh sieve. Hold refrigerated for service.

Green Chutney

1. In a blender combine cilantro, Thai chili, lime juice, garlic, Moroccan Seasoning, sugar, and salt. Blend until smooth. Hold refrigerated for service.

Vada Mixture

1. In a blender or food processor combine garlic, serrano chilis, and ginger. Process to form paste and set aside.
2. In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds and toast until seeds begin to pop. Add garlic paste, curry leaves, and asafetida. Cook until fragrant and mixture begins to darken in color. Remove from heat.
3. Add cooked mixture to mashed potatoes along with cilantro, lemon juice, salt, and turmeric. Mix until ingredients are evenly distributed. Use a #24 scoop to portion mixture and roll into balls. Hold refrigerated for service.

Vada Batter

1. In a bowl whisk together chickpea flour, salt, baking soda, and turmeric. Add club soda and whisk together to form smooth batter. Batter should not be overly thick or thin, add more water as needed. Make just prior to service.

Service

1. Set fryer to 350°F. For each serving, brush 3 rolls with butter and toast. Dunk 3 prepared vada balls into batter and deep fry until golden brown. Remove from fryer and drain well.
2. Place 1 tablespoon Crunchy Garlic Chutney on the base of each roll. Top with fried vada and 1 teaspoon each the Tamarind and Green Chutneys. Finish with crown of roll. Serve warm with additional chutneys on side.