Vada pav

Name: Vada pav (Mumbai burgers)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 5 large garlic cloves, finely chopped; a pinch of salt, or to taste; ½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds; a few fresh curry leaves; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; a pinch of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda); 200 g (7 oz/1⅔ cups) chickpea flour (besan), sifted; 4 small white burger buns; a few coriander (cilantro) sprigs, finely chopped; vegetable oil, for deep-frying; chopped coriander (cilantro), to serve; Tamarind chutney, to serve; Green coconut chutney, to serve; 2.5 cm (1 inch) knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped; deep-fried green chillies, to serve (optional); ¼ teaspoon ground cumin; 2 teaspoons virgin coconut oil; butter, for spreading; ½ teaspoon chilli powder; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm (¾ inch) cubes; 3 green chillies, finely chopped

Mumbai burgers

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium
Ready in
50 min

Appears in

Lands of the Curry Leaf

By Peter Kuruvita

Published 2018

About

My first experience of these yummy burgers was on the train from Mumbai to Hyderabad, around 1983. This vegetarian delicacy originated around 1960, and combines a wonderful local deep-fried spiced potato ball with a touch of the colonial influence in the form of a burger bun. As with most things, this iconic Mumbai street food is evolving and finding its way all over India.

Ingredients

Asia
India
Hyderabad
Mumbai
Snack
Spicy
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Method