Today I have for you the the most iconic and ubiquitous snack straight from the streets of Bombay: the inimitable Vada Pav. I like to think of the vada pav as an Indian hot dog– a vegetarian one. A spicy, deep-fried, incredibly crispy potato dumpling cradled within a soft, fluffy roll and smeared with some exquisitely red-hot garlic chutney. These many layers of flavor, textures and the stark, rustic simplicity have long secured the vada pav’s place as one of the city’s most sought-after – and affordable – foods. You can find vendors at practically every street corner in the city frying the red-gold vadas in bubbling hot oil and serving them up to salivating customers faster than you can say “vada pav.” When I was at school, the cafeteria served up vada pavs for as little as a rupee, which is about the equivalent of two cents. I don’t think any of the kids even considered eating anything else– I certainly didn’t. And although I am sure it costs much, much more now, thanks to rapid inflation in India over the past few years, it is no doubt one of the most affordable snacks you can find anywhere in the city. I try to make my vada pav healthier without taking away any of the flavor by making the pav, or the tiny roll that the vada is cradled in, with whole wheat flour. This is a recipe I’m really proud to share with you because it’s just so darn good. I used some wheat gluten flour to help build the bread’s structure and it was just as cushiony and soft as the traditionally white pav. The vada and the pav can both be at room temperature when you serve them, which means you can do most of your work beforehand.
Looking for more Mumbai street foods?
Mumbai Pav Bhaji Tawa Pulao Khasta Kachori Aloo Tikki Punjabi Samosa
Recipe card
Recipe card
To assemble the vada pav, make a slit through the center of the pav without going all the way through the bottom. Slater the bottom with some of the garlic chutney, place a vada on top, place your thumbs on the underside of the pav and your fingers on top, press the top and bottom together, and dig in. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
