(Updated on March 09, 2023)

Vada Pav is a popular street food from Mumbai loved by almost everybody. It has become synonymous with the city’s food culture, and you can easily find Vada Pav in Mumbai’s every street and corner today. 

This recipe of vada pav consists of deep-fried savoury potato fritters sandwiched between fluffy pav and served with a generous amount of hot, tangy, and spicy chutneys. It is hearty and delicious and brings together a medley of textures and delectable flavours.

You can enjoy the humble Vada Pav of Mumbai as a grab-and-go brunch or evening snack with your cup of chai. Though it seems like a lot of effort, it is quite simple to make at home. And with Zilli’s Cold Pressed Spices, it is easier than ever to whip up some mouth-watering vada pavs for your family. 

Learn how to make a classic street-style vada pav, green chutney, and dry coconut-garlic chutney with our step-by-step recipe.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes.

Cooking Time: 25 minutes.

Serves: 6 Vada Pavs. 

Course: Snack.

Cuisine: Mumbai, Maharashtrian.

Ingredients:

Dry Coconut Garlic Chutney:

• ⅛ cup Zilli's Garlic Powder.
• 1 tsp Zilli’s Amchur (Dry Mango) Powder.
• 1 tbsp peanuts.
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds.
• 1 tsp coriander seeds.
• 1 tsp cumin.
• ¼ tsp methi (fenugreek).
• ¼ cup dry grated coconut.
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
• 1 tbsp red chilli powder.
• 1 tsp oil.
• ½ tsp salt.
• A pinch of hing (asafoetida).

Green Chutney:

• 1 cup coriander leaves.
• ½ cup pudina (mint) leaves.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Garlic Powder.
• 1 tsp Zilli's Ginger Powder.
• 1 tsp Zilli's Lemon Powder.
• 1 tbsp sattu or 2 tbsp roasted gram.
• 1-2 chopped green chillies.
• ½ tsp cumin powder.
• 1 tsp chaat masala.
• ½ tsp sugar.
• ½ tsp salt.
• ½ cup water.
• A pinch of hing (asafoetida).

Vada Preparation:

• 2 boiled and mashed potatoes.
• ⅛ cup coriander leaves.
• ½ tsp Zilli's Ginger Powder. 
• ¼ tsp Zilli's Garlic Powder.
• ¼ tsp Zilli's Lemon Powder.
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp mustard seeds.
• 10-12 curry leaves.
• ¾ cup besan.
• 1 tbsp rice flour.
• ¼ tsp red chilli powder.
• 4-5 finely chopped green chillies.
• 2 tsp oil.
• ¼ tsp baking soda.
• ¾ cup water.
• A pinch of hing (asafoetida).
• Salt as per taste.

How to Make Vada Pav with Chutneys:

Making the Dry Coconut Garlic Chutney:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan.
2. Add peanuts and roast them till they turn golden brown.
3. Add sesame seeds. Cover with a lid and cook for a minute.
4. Add the coriander seeds, cumin, and methi seeds. 
5. Sauté and cover with a lid. Cook for two minutes on medium flame.
6. Remove the lid. Add grated coconut and garlic powder to the pan. 
7. Continue mixing over low heat till the coconut turns light brown.
8. Set the mixture aside for 20 minutes to cool.
9. Transfer the mixture to a blender jar. Add turmeric powder, amchur powder, salt, hing, and red chilli powder.
10.  Grind to a coarse powder. Set it aside.

Your dry coconut garlic chutney for vada pav is ready.

Making the Green Chutney:

1. Add all the green chutney ingredients with some water to a blender jar. 
2. Blend until smooth. 

Your vada pav green chutney is ready!

Preparing the Vada:

1. For the Potato Stuffing:

• Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan or non-stick kadhai.
• Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, and hing. Sauté till the mustard begins to crackle.
• Sprinkle ¼ tsp turmeric powder and stir for a few seconds.
• Add the boiled and mashed potatoes and mix well to combine.
• Add coriander leaves, ginger powder, and chopped green chillies. Mix everything nicely over low heat.
• Next, add salt, lemon powder, and a little water. Mix well. Your vada pav masala (potato stuffing) is ready.
• Shape this mixture into potato balls and set aside.
• To make the batter for coating:

• Add besan (gram flour), rice flour, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, red chilli powder, hing, and baking soda in a large bowl.
• Pour ½ cup water and whisk well to make a thick, lump-free batter. 
• Add ¼ cup more water little by little if the batter is not smooth. Whisk till you reach the desired consistency. Your battery is ready.
•  To fry the Vadas:

• Heat oil in a kadhai for deep frying. 
• Coat the prepared potato balls thoroughly in the besan batter.
• Gently and carefully drop the vadas into the hot oil one by one. Stir and turn them occasionally.
• Once the vadas turn crisp and golden brown on both sides, transfer them to a plate.
•  Frying green chillies:

• Add slit green chillies to hot oil. Let them turn light brown, and transfer them to a plate.

Assembling the Vada Pav:

1. Slice open each pav from in-between. 
2. Smear 1 tsp green chutney and sprinkle ½ tsp dry coconut garlic chutney on the inner sides of the pav. 
3. Place the prepared vada in the pav along with a fried green chilli.

Your Bombay Vada Pav is ready to be served.

Tips and Variations for Vada Pav Recipe:

Boil the potatoes until they are just done. They should be firm and fork-tender but not mushy.

Ensure that your potato mixture does not have excessive moisture. If you feel it is too wet and not holding shape, cook it in the pan for another 2-3 minutes.

The oil for frying the vadas should be moderately hot. If the oil is too hot, the vada will remain undercooked inside and burn outside. But if not hot enough, the vada will absorb the oil and turn soggy and oily.

To check the oil temperature, add some droplets of the batter to the oil. If the batter droplets gradually rise to the surface and start bubbling, the oil is at the right temperature. 

Use Kashmiri chilli powder in your dry coconut garlic vada pav chutney for a deep and vibrant red colour.

You can alter the quantity of spices as per your preference.

Pay attention to the batter consistency to get a perfect coating. If the batter is too thin, you will taste only the filling. If it is too thick, it can taste dough-like and becomes hard and chewy.

Avoid adding too much water to your vada pav green chutney recipe. A runny chutney will make the pav soggy quickly.

Variations for Vada Pav Recipe:

• Schezwan Vada Pav: Add some Chinese zing to your vada pav with schezwan chutney. You can apply it to your pav or mix it with the potato masala to make schezwan vada pav.
• Cheese Vada Pav: Treat yourself to some gooey deliciousness. Place some grated cheese inside the potato mixture and fold it in. Coat it with the batter and fry. Your cheesy vada pav is ready!
• Paneer Vada Pav: Add crumbled paneer to the potato mixture to make paneer vada pav. 
• Vada Pav in Air Fryer: Enjoy vada pav while keeping it healthy. Preheat your air fryer to 200° C. Lay parchment paper over the grill pan and brush some oil. Gently place the vadas coated with batter into the air fryer. Cook at 200° C for 12-15 minutes. Once cooked, place them inside the pav with the chutneys, and enjoy!

Serving Ideas: 

Serve the vada pav hot with fried green chilli, dry coconut garlic chutney, and green chutney.

You can also pair it with ketchup, coconut chutney, and khatti meethi chutney.

Enjoy it as breakfast, brunch, or an evening snack with a steaming hot cup of tea or coffee.