Widely loved in Mumbai and slowly becoming popular in other places too, you can never go wrong with a vada pav. It is the most sought-after Mumbai street food, and a common craving so many people have — but many refrain from enjoying vada pav because the vada is fried, and hence, fattening and unhealthy.
What if we tell you we can remove the unhealthy aspect of a vada pav? Yes, you no longer need to fry your vadas. Mahima Dhoot, a food blogger from Mumbai, pioneered a recipe that everyone needs to know about. In this version of vada pav, instead of frying the vada, you can enjoy it as a dip.
Check out her reel here:
She says, “Tastes like a vada pav but is easier to make and non-fried. You can serve with gluten-free pav/bread or even ragi cracker.”
Recipe
Aloo Masala:
*First, boil 3 medium sizes potatoes, peel and mash them.
*Now, heat 1 tbsp oil and add 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds), 1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rye), and 9-10 curry leaves
*Then add 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste and 2 green chillies (chopped) and cook until the raw smell goes away
*Now, add 1/2 tsp haldi (turmeric powder), 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp salt and mix
*Finally, add in your potato and mix everything well.
Green Chutney:
In a blender add a handful of coriander, 8-10 garlic cloves, 3 green chillies, 1/2 tbsp salt, 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera), 1 lemon squeezed and 2 ice cubes (this helps retain the green colour) and blend!
Dry Garlic Chutney:
*Heat 2 tsp oil
*Sauté 20-22 small garlic cloves on low flame for a minute
*Then add 2 tsp white sesame seeds and sauté that until it changes colour and turns off the flame
*Add in 1/2 cup grated coconut and mix well
*Now, add 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder (less or more depending on your spice tolerance) and mix
*Finally, salt to taste and mix again
*Now set this aside and wait for it to cool completely
*Once done, transfer to a blender/grinder and blend in intervals of 4-5 seconds. Don’t blend for longer as coconut will release oil and it won’t be dry anymore!
Blend into a fine powder
Vada Pav Dip:
Now that the three main components are ready it’s time to assemble.
*Take a baking dish
*First comes the layer of aloo masala then spread in some green chutney and then sprinkle the dry garlic chutney
*Finally top with some cheese (this is optional but really tastes good in this dip form) and bake in the oven until the cheese melts
*While baking this you can also slice up pav into bite-sized pieces and bake this simultaneously along with the dip
Once done, serve immediately with pav/crackers/bread!
Enjoy the taste of a vada pav guilt-free using this easy, quick recipe — and your tastebuds can thank us later.
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