Vada Pav

After trying it by chance from a coworker, I decided to try my hand at making Vada Pav, a popular street food in Mumbai consisting of a fried spicy potato fritter sandwiched between dinner rolls called pav, in combination with a wide array of chutneys.

Following this recipe, I first headed to my local Indian grocery store, which I had never visited before, to pick up what I needed. I was immediately fascinated by what there was to offer and the wide array of dals, beans, spices, etc and ended up walking out with more than I had planned to get. Haha.

Assembling the Vada Pav

Boy, did I underestimate how much work this would take. Making the chutneys ahead of time so that all I would have to do then is make the batata vada and assemble the vada pav would've made things easier but oh well.

Speaking of the chutneys, they were relatively straightforward and simple to make. I thoroughly enjoyed making them and I loved how different yet complimenting they all were. In addition to the three chutneys, I fried some of the extra batter to add some extra crunch and texture.

Putting everything all together, I was blown away by how flavorful it was. From the bright and refreshing coriander chutney, the sweet and tangy tamarind chutney, crunchy and spicy dry garlic chutney, to the perfectly spiced potato fritter to the soft pav… Oh it was incredible. I was absolutely obsessed with it. All aspects of it worked together to make something so incredibly delicious and balanced in terms of a wide array of flavor profiles.

I also fried some green chilis to accompany it, but (again) underestimated how spicy it would make it. Took one bite of the vada pav with one of the green chili and my mouth was on fire. Big mistake.

Overall, I enjoyed making and eating the vada pav. And I developed a great appreciation for just how wide and complex Indian cuisine is.