History

Ashok Vaidya ran a snack stall outside Dadar railway station selling poha, batata vada and tea to mill workers and commuters. In 1966 he slipped the deep-fried potato vada inside a pav with red garlic chutney and a fried green chilli. The format spread across the city within years; Mumbai now counts more than 20,000 vada pav stalls.

Common allergens: Gluten, Nightshade (potato)

Make it at home

Yield Makes 6 vada pavsHands-on 40 minTotal 55 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 white pavs (soft burger-style buns)
  • 4 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled (about 500g)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 fresh green chillies, chopped fine
  • 10 fresh curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons oil for tempering
  • Salt to taste
  • 200g chickpea flour (besan)
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder for batter
  • Oil for deep frying
  • Red garlic chutney (10 dried red chillies, 6 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon dry coconut, blended)
  • 6 whole green chillies for frying

Method

  1. Mash the boiled potatoes in a bowl with salt to taste, set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Cook 30 seconds.
  3. Add chopped green chillies and turmeric. Stir 30 seconds.
  4. Add mashed potatoes and mix to coat. Cool slightly, then form into 6 balls.
  5. Whisk chickpea flour with salt and red chilli powder and enough water for a thick batter.
  6. Heat frying oil to 180C. Dip each potato ball in batter, fry until golden brown (about 4 minutes), drain.
  7. Briefly fry whole green chillies in the same oil; drain.
  8. Slice each pav, smear cut side with garlic chutney, place hot vada in middle, top with fried green chilli.

Tip from the editors. Press the assembled vada pav gently before serving so the bread soaks up the chutney; serve immediately while the vada is hot.

Where to eat vada pav

Vada pav in Mumbai

Fort Vada Pav Stalls ★ 4.2

Street food$fortMon-Sat 07:30-21:00

Fort's vada pav stalls along Horniman Circle and DN Road price at INR 30 a piece. Mill-worker rates have held; the chutney is made every morning.

Try: Vada pav and samosa pav

Order: A vada pav with garlic chutney and a samosa pav.

Tip: Office-lunch hours (12:30-14:00) busiest; calm before 12:00.

Horniman Circle and DN Road, Fort, Mumbai 400001

Sardar Pav Bhaji ★ 4.6

Street food$tardeoDaily 12:00-00:00

Sardar charges INR 150 for the canonical Mumbai pav bhaji. Cheese version runs INR 200; counter service is faster than table service at busy lunch hours.

Try: Pav bhaji

Order: Pav bhaji with extra butter and a sweet lassi.

Tip: Counter service is fastest; ask for the extra-butter version.

166-A Tardeo Main Road Junction, Tardeo, Mumbai 400034

More cities are in research. Want vada pav covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

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