Homemade Vada Pav & Everything That Goes With It!

This is what a Sunday lock-down-lunch should be like!

I think we have finally figured out a Sunday formula at home. Make an elaborate lunch and go back to a simple menu for dinner. Pick up a less-often cooked recipe for lunch and go back to a no-brainer type dinner. Vada Pav for lunch and instant noodles for dinner! That is what my Sunday looked like.

This Vada Pav recipe is completely vegetarian. The Pav is homemade without eggs and the recipe was shared by my sister-in-law (The Bangalorean Cookerie). The Vada is a super simple, delicious recipe that mom made. The garlic-peanut-red chilli chutney comes together in 10 minutes. The slit green chillies, stuffed with salt and dry mango powder and then shallow fried were the perfect spicy accompaniment.

You will take approximately 2 hours end-to-end to get this meal ready, including the resting and rising time for the dough to make the Pav.

The result was an absolutely delicious lunch with everything wiped clean! So go ahead and plan out this lunch for your coming weekend. It will be worth it!

INGREDIENTS

For the Pav

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour

• 2 tbsp warm milk

• 1 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp instant dry yeast

• 2 tbsp oil

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 1½ tsp salt

• ½ tbsp soft butter

• Milk for brushing

• Butter for brushing

For the Vada

• 8 to 10 potatoes

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 2 whole green chillies

• 1 tsp grated ginger

• 5 to 6 curry leaves

• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

• Salt to taste

• 1 cup chickpea flour / besan

• 1 tbsp rice flour

• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

• Water to prepare the batter

• Oil to fry the Vadas

For the Garlic Chutney

• 1 tbsp oil

• 1/4 cup of peeled, crushed garlic pods

• 1 tbsp peanuts

• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

• 1 tsp cumin / jeera

• 1 tsp coriander seeds

• 1/4 tsp fenugreek / methi seeds

• 1/4 cup dry coconut (if available)

• 1 tbsp red chilli powder

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp dry mango / aamchur powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• A pinch of asafoetida / hing

For the Green Chillies

• 6 to 8 green chillies, slit along the length

• 1 tsp salt

• 2 tsp dry mango / aamchur powder

• 1 tbsp oil (you can use the remaining oil from the garlic chutney preparation)

METHOD

For the Pav

1. In a bowl, mix 2 tbsp warm water, yeast and sugar and set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In another bowl combine oil and butter and mix well.

3. In a big bowl mix all-purpose flour, salt and baking powder.

4. Now add the yeast mixture to the flour and knead into a soft dough using warm water.

5. Add the oil and butter mixture and knead for 8 to 10 minutes till the dough is soft and smooth.

6. Cover the dough with a muslin cloth or a soft cotton cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or till the size doubles.

7. After the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface and knead again for 5 minutes.

8. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions.

9. Roll each portion of the dough into a smooth round ball.

10. Place them on a greased tray at regular intervals.

11. Cover the tray with a damp muslin or soft cotton cloth and keep aside for 30 minutes.

12. They will double in size.

13. Then brush them with milk.

14. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes at 180 C.

15. Remove the tray from the oven and after 5 minutes, grease the Pav with butter and allow them to cool completely.

For the Vada

1. Boil, peel and mash 8 to 10 potatoes.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan and add mustard, whole green chillies, ginger and curry leaves once the oil is warm.

3. Add turmeric powder and the mashed potatoes.

4. Add salt and stir till everything is mixed well.

5. Take the pan off the heat and cool the potato mixture.

6. Roll the mix out into small lemon-sized balls that fit comfortably within your palm and refrigerate for half an hour.

7. Mix a cup of chickpea flour / besan with a tbsp of rice flour.

8. Add salt and red chilli powder to taste.

9. Gradually, add enough water to make the batter for dipping the potato balls to coat them evenly without being too runny.

10. Remove the mashed potatoes from the fridge and keep ready.

11. Heat enough oil to deep fry the potato Vadas.

12. Dip the potato balls one by one in the batter and fry once the oil is hot.

13. Remove them when golden brown and place them on a tissue lined plate.

For the Garlic Chutney

1. Heat the oil in a pan and add the crushed garlic.

2. Saute till the garlic turns a light golden-brown.

3. Add the peanuts and roast till they become crunchy.

4. Add the sesame seeds, cumin, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and dry coconut (if available) and saute till the spices turn aromatic.

5. Take them off the heat and let them cool.

6. Now, transfer this to a mixer-grinder and add the remaining spices and salt.

7. Grind this mixture to a coarse consistency.

8. You will have a slightly coarse, spicy, gorgeously aromatic chutney.

For the Green Chillies

1. Mix the salt and dry mango powder in a small cup.

2. Take a good pinch of this mix and stuff each slit green chilli till evenly filled.

3. Sprinkle the remaining mix over the green chillies.

4. Shallow fry the green chillies on medium heat till they are seared evenly.

5. Remove from heat onto a piece of paper tissue to soak in excess oil.

Assemble the Vada Pav by slicing each Pav through the middle on 3 sides. Layer the inside of the Pav with butter as well as garlic chutney and place a Vada in the centre. Bite into the Vada Pav and next, take a small bite of the green chilli. Ultimate food bliss, made with love :)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe.

---

FOODLOVEBLISS.COM is my attempt at sharing my love for cooking, baking and capturing food that is simple, delicious and easy to make.

Everything you see here has been consumed by my family and friends, and hence, is tried and tested on a bunch of loyal guinea pigs.

HAPPY BAKING!

---