Vada Pav

Préparation

Vada Pav (pronounced Wah-dah POW) is a popular Indian street food with a deep-fried potato patty piled on a griddled bun and topped with a variety of tangy chutneys. These spicy sliders are a staple at chef Meherwan Irani’s restaurants Chai Pani and Botiwalla, where the vada are spiked with curry leaves and chiles and topped with a crunchy red peanut chutney. He dips the patties in a curried chickpea batter before frying to give them a light and crispy exterior, while keeping the inside delicate and soft. 

*This recipe originally ran stateside on HexClad.com.

1. Make Pakora Batter. In a small bowl, whisk chickpea flour with spices, cilantro, serrano, and a pinch of salt. Add ½ cup of warm water and whisk until smooth, gradually adding more water as needed until mixture resembles a thick pancake batter. 

2. Make Vada. In a HexClad 8QT/7.5L Hybrid Stock Pot, add potatoes and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 25 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Peel potatoes and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Roughly mash potatoes. Wipe out stock pot.

3. Meanwhile, Make Red Peanut Chutney. In a HexClad 1QT/1L Hybrid Saucepan, combine garlic and oil. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until garlic begins to bubble. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until garlic is golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. In garlic oil, fry chiles over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until blistered and tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chiles to paper towel-lined plate with garlic. Discard oil or reserve for another use.

4. In a small food processor or spice grinder, combine peanuts, fried garlic, and fried chiles. Pulse until you have a chunky paste. Season with salt.  

5. In a HexClad 8”/20 cm Hybrid Fry Pan, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over medium-high. Add a few mustard seeds to the pan—when they start to sizzle and pop, oil is ready. Add remaining mustard seeds and cook, covering pan if needed, until they stop popping, about 10 seconds. Add curry leaves, serrano, and hing—be careful as curry leaves will splatter. Reduce heat to medium-low and add grated ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and ginger and garlic are beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Pour oil, or tadka, over mashed potatoes. Add chaat masala, lime juice, and cilantro and stir to combine. Season with salt. 

6. In the HexClad 8QT/7.5L Hybrid Stock Pot, heat 1-inch of oil to 350°F. Shape potato mixture into patties, about 3-inches wide and 1-inch thick. You should have about 12 patties. 

7. When oil is hot and ready to use, give chickpea batter a stir—it will thicken over time, so add more warm water, if needed. Working in batches, gently dip potato patties in batter. Fry patties, flipping once or twice, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle vada with salt. Repeat with remaining patties, adjusting heat as needed to maintain 350°F.

8. Assemble Vada Pav. Spread green chutney on each side of toasted rolls. Arrange fried vada on bottom buns, then top each patty with some tamarind chutney and sprinkle generously with Red Peanut Chutney. Close rolls and serve right away! 

NOTE Hing (also known as asafoetida) is a gum resin extracted from ferula, an herb in the celery family. It is a common ingredient in Indian cooking and is used similarly to salt to enhance the flavor of the other spices. It can be found at most Indian specialty shops or purchased online from amazon.com or Kalustyans.