Vada pav
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This vegan street food classic from the streets of Mumbai is a carb-lovers dream. Spiced mashed potato is dipped in a batter and deep-fried until crisp, before being placed inside a roll spread with tamarind chutney. The ghati masala sprinkled over the top is optional, but adds a burst of toasty, fiery flavours to the sandwich.
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 pinch of asafoetida
- 2 green chillies , chopped
- 1 knob of ginger , 0.5 inches long, chopped
- 4 curry leaves , finely chopped
- 15g of coriander leaves , finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 45g of gram flour
- 80ml of water
- 1 pinch of bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- salt
- 6 tbsp of tamarind chutney
- 6 soft bread rolls, or pav rolls if you can find them
Ghati masala
- 8 garlic cloves , peeled
- 50g of desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp of roasted peanuts
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- salt , to taste
Method
1
Make the ghati masala by placing the oil in a small pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic cloves, cook for 1 minute then transfer to a food processor or blender. Toast the sesame seeds for 30 seconds in the same pan, then transfer to the food processor along with the rest of the ingredients. Blitz to a coarse powder, then taste for seasoning. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 15 days
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 8 garlic cloves , peeled
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
- 50g of desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp of roasted peanuts
- 2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
- salt , to taste
2
Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, peel whilst still warm then mash and set aside
3
Place the green chillies and ginger in a pestle and mortar or small food processor and blitz into a paste. Set aside
- 2 green chillies , chopped
- 1 knob of ginger , 0.5 inches long, chopped
4
Add the two teaspoons of vegetable oil to a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; when they start to sputter and crackle, add the asafoetida, curry leaves and the chilli and ginger paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add the turmeric powder and remove from the heat
- 2 tsp vegetable oil, plus extra for deep-frying
- 1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 pinch of asafoetida
- 4 curry leaves , finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
5
Pour the contents of the pan over the mashed potatoes, then add the coriander leaves and lemon juice. Season with salt and mix well, then divide the mixture into 6 even balls. If the mixture starts to stick to your hands, cover them in a little oil to make this easier
- 15g of coriander leaves , finely chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt
6
Preheat a deep-fat fryer or deep pan of oil to 180°C
7
While the oil is heating up, prepare the vada batter. Place the gram flour, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt in a bowl and slowly start adding the water until a loose thin batter forms (you may not need all the water). If it becomes too thin, you can add a little more gram flour until a coating consistency is achieved
- 45g of gram flour
- 1 pinch of bicarbonate of soda
- 80ml of water
8
Dip the potato balls into the batter, ensuring they are well covered, then deep-fry in batches for 5 minutes or until they turn golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. If you like, you can also deep-fry some green chillies for a minute to serve on top of the buns
9
To serve, cut open the rolls and spread liberally with tamarind chutney. Place the battered potato balls inside, dust with the ghati masala (if using) and serve
- 6 soft bread rolls, or pav rolls if you can find them
- 6 tbsp of tamarind chutney
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