Monday, March 2, 2009

Most Popular Indian Burger-Vada Pav


The Vada Pav is considered staple teatime snack in Maharashtra, particularly in Mumbai, where it has been popularized as street food. Vada Pav is available on hand carts, popularly known as Vada Pav chi gadi. They are seen everywhere in Maharashtra and also served at tea time in many of the state's small eateries and on long distance trains.

This Rs. 5 snack is a hit among young and old,rich and poor,villages to cities.In Mumbai -the commom man eats Vada Pav 24/7. He doesn’t require an occasion to celebrate the city’s staple diet.
The World Vada Pav Day is celebrated on 23rd August-it was on this day that a food chain registered the Vada Pav as its main business six years ago and corporatised the chatpata street food.

Today in India, Vada Pav is available everywhere. Even in an eatery named after Sachin Tendulkar,malls and even on crowded streets. The master blaster says the vada pav is an amazing snack. His buddy Vinod Kambli famously presented him with 35 Vada Pavs when Tendulkar broke Sunil Gavaskar’s 34-century Test record in March 2006. “One Vada Pav for every century,” Kambli had explained.
But the vada pav has travelled far beyond the playing fields, lanes, street corners and food courts of shopping malls in Mumbai. It is now even available even in the USA.
The Vada Pav’s Aroma has tickled the palates of New Yorkers and is fast set to join the ranks of chicken tikka masala, mutton biryani, fish curry rice, alphonso mangoes and Darjeeling tea which are among the favourite Indian Food and beverage worldwide.
Vada Pav is a powerhouse snack for any metro's quick-paced needs, whether it is New York or Mumbai.

Bhel,Shev puri,pani puri,dabeli,franky are among the popular street foods but the fan following for vada pav is the largest.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 lb potatoes boiled and mashed.
1 tsp turmeric
5-6 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoiteda
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
salt to taste

Grind to paste:
5-6 garlic pods
2" ginger
5-6 green chilis
12-14 mint leaves
1 tbsp coriander seed

Batter

1/2 cup chickpea flour/besan
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chili powder(optional)
pinch of baking soda
salt
water


Oil for deep frying

Method


  • Mix besan, chili powder, turmeric, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
  • Add water and mix till it turns into a thick batter.Consistency should be such that when a spoon is inserted and remove it should be evenly coated with the batter.Set aside for 1/2 an hour.
  • For  tadka: Heat 2 tbsp  oil, when hot add mustard seed,asafoteida,curry leaves,ground masala turmeric and cilantro.Pour this tadka on the mash potatoes,add salt and mix well..When cooled roll it into small balls.Keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a wok.When dip one potato ball in the batter and drop it in oil and fry until golden on both sides.You can fry 3-4 vadas at a time.Remove on a paper towel.

For chutney


  • Roast 4 red chillis(almost until they start smoking),4 garlic pods and 1 tbsp peanuts.Grind this along with 1 tsp chilli powder and salt.Don't use water.
  • When serving add 1 tbsp of tamarind concentrate to this dry chutney.


Assembling the Vada Pav
Divide the pav at its center.Apply chutney to one side ,Ketchup to the other and place the vada.
Enjoy...


Note:For butter vada pav- simply butter the pav and roast as you do for pav bhajji and then assemble.