Of Maharashtrian origin, the vada pav is a very
popular Indian street food snack, consisting of spiced deep fried potato,
garnished with various chutneys. The credit for invention often goes to a man
named Ashok Vaidy, who slung his wares from a stall outside Dadar station in
1971. Beats a soggy sandwich on the train home from work, huh?
Makes about 20 balls; 5 servings
INGREDIENTS
FOR
THE SPICED POTATO MIXTURE:
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2 fresh green chilies, finely chopped (seeded or not is
up to you)
1 garlic clove, crushed
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
A pinch of asafoetida (optional)
10 (fresh or dried) curry leaves
1lb 2oz (500g) cold mashed potatoes
½ tsp ground turmeric
Sea salt, to taste
4 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
FOR THE
SWEET CHUTNEY:
6 dried dates
½ tsp tamarind purée
FOR THE DRY
GARLIC CHUTNEY:
10 garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp peanut (groundnut) oil, plus extra for frying
½ cup (35g) dry unsweetened (desiccated) coconut
1 tsp chili powder
FOR THE
GREEN CHUTNEY:
A large bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander)
A handful of fresh mint leaves
About 5 fresh green chilies, chopped (seeded or not is
up to you)
Juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp vegetable oil
FOR THE
BATTER:
Generous 1 cup (100g) chickpea/besan (gram) flour
¼ tsp ground turmeric
A pinch of
baking powder Scant 1/3 cup (80ml)
water
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5 soft white rolls, split open, to serve
Fried fresh green chilies, to serve
(optional)
To make the spiced potato mixture, mash together
the chilies, garlic, and ginger. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan, add the
mustard seeds, and cook until they pop. Add the asafoetida, if using, and the
curry leaves and cook for 10 seconds. Add the chili/ginger paste and cook for
10 seconds. Add the mashed potatoes, turmeric, and salt, then add the cilantro
(coriander) and mix well. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, make the chutneys.
To make the sweet chutney, soak the dates in
warm water for about 20 minutes, then remove the pits (stones). Whizz the dates
in a blender with the tamarind purée and a splash of water to form a tomato
sauce-like consistency. Set aside.
To make the dry garlic chutney, gently
caramelize the whole garlic cloves in a frying pan with a little peanut
(groundnut) oil. Add the coconut, stirring until golden. Blend together with
the chili powder and the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Season with salt.
Set aside.
To make the green chutney, blend the cilantro, mint, green chilies, and
lemon juice together with a splash of water. Add the vegetable oil, plus some
salt, and blend to mix. Set aside.
To shape and cook the potato mixture, pour vegetable oil for deep-frying
into a deep frying pan or an electric deep-fat fryer and heat to 350°F (180°C).
Shape the spiced potato mixture into balls (to make about 20 balls).
To make the batter, mix all the batter
ingredients together, then dip each potato ball in the batter. Deep-fry the
balls in batches for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown
all over. Drain on paper towels. Keep warm while you cook the rest. Serve hot.
Serve the warm potato balls in the white rolls
with the chutneys and fried green chilies, if using.
