Vada pav
Encyclopedia
Vada pav
, sometimes spelled wada pav, is a popular vegetarian fast food
dish native to the India
n state of Maharashtra
. It consists of a batata vada
(called bonda
in South India) sandwiched between 2 slices of a pav. The compound word batata vada refers in Marathi
to a vada
made out of batata, the latter referring to a potato. Pav refers to unsweetened bread or bun and may be etymologically related to the Portuguese word for bread - Pão
(and batata is the Portuguese word for potato). Vada pav was supposedly devised by snack vendor Ashok Vaidya outside Dadar
station in 1971.
Finely cut green chili
es and ginger
and a phodani (tempering) of mustard seeds and turmeric are added to a mash
of boiled potatoes, and after dipping patties of the mash in an herb
-seasoned batter
of gram flour
, the patties are deep-fried.
Vada pav is typically served with a chutney
(sauce) which is commonly made out of shredded coconut
“meat”, tamarind
pulp, and garlic
.
Variations of the above basic dish include "cheese vada pav" (where slices of cheese are added); there is "schezwan vada pav" (where the pav is layered with schezwan sauce); "samosa pav" (where a "samosa
" is used instead of a vada); and "Jain vada pav" (where vada ingredients do not include onions, garlic and potatoes). Vada pav served in the nearby state of Gujarat is usually fried in Butter or edible Oil. The Pav is first fried in a mixture of Butter or Oil and dried red chilly powder. After that the chutney is applied in the hot fried Pav and the Vada is placed in between. This is the only difference between Vada pav in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In the state of Gujarat, the original unfried Vada Pav recipe is referred to as "Bombay Vada Pav".
This dish was initially started as the most cheapest form of a meal for low income group, but due to its taste, this dish became so popular that many sophisticated hotels also have started dishing out this wonderful dish, at extra cost of course. However, this dish has still retained its charm as an evergreen dish, and many people have it at breakfast, lunch or even dinner as well.
a chain of 'Quick service restaurants’ is famous for its vada pav especially the ones with varied stuffings.
Gajanan Vada Pao centre and Durga in Thane is well known. Joshi Vadevale is one of the popular vadapav chains in Pune, but most famous among the locales is a particular street joint named JJ Garden Vada Pav. Shiv-Vada is also a popular vada pav chain. Many street corner cart vendors are spread across all small & big cities and towns. Many have developed their own 'customer following'.
, sometimes spelled wada pav, is a popular vegetarian fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
dish native to the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n state of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. It consists of a batata vada
Batata vada
Batata Vada is a popular Indian vegetarian fast food in Maharashtra, India. It literally means potato fritters. The name "Batata" means potato in English. It consists of a potato mash patty coated with chick pea flour, then deep-fried and served hot with savory condiments called Chutney...
(called bonda
Bonda
Bonda is a typical South Indian snack that has various sweet and spicy versions of it at different regions.-Preparation:The process of making a spicy bonda involves deep-frying potato filling dipped in gram flour batter.Bonda has a sweet and a spicy variant...
in South India) sandwiched between 2 slices of a pav. The compound word batata vada refers in Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
to a vada
Vada
Vada ; also known as wada or vade or vadai , is a savoury fritter-type snack from South India.-Description:Vada can vary in shape and size, but are usually either doughnut- or disc-shaped and are about between 5 and 8 cm across. They are made from dal, lentil, gram flour or potato.Vada is a...
made out of batata, the latter referring to a potato. Pav refers to unsweetened bread or bun and may be etymologically related to the Portuguese word for bread - Pão
Pao
-People:* Pao Ching-yen , a Chinese, anarchist philosopher who lived in the early fourth century C.E.* Yih-Ho Michael Pao, an American entrepreneur and hydro-engineer-Fictional:...
(and batata is the Portuguese word for potato). Vada pav was supposedly devised by snack vendor Ashok Vaidya outside Dadar
Dadar
Dadar is a place in Mumbai, and is also a railway station on both the Western and Central lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Dadar is situated in the heart of Mumbai, and Dadar station is the only railway station common to both the Central and Western lines...
station in 1971.
Preparation
Chili pepper
Chili pepper is the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. The term in British English and in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and other Asian countries is just chilli without pepper.Chili peppers originated in the Americas...
es and ginger
Ginger
Ginger is the rhizome of the plant Zingiber officinale, consumed as a delicacy, medicine, or spice. It lends its name to its genus and family . Other notable members of this plant family are turmeric, cardamom, and galangal....
and a phodani (tempering) of mustard seeds and turmeric are added to a mash
Mashed potato
Mashed potato is made by mashing freshly boiled potatoes with a ricer, fork, potato masher, food mill, or whipping them with a hand beater. Dehydrated and frozen mashed potatoes are available in many places...
of boiled potatoes, and after dipping patties of the mash in an herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
-seasoned batter
Batter (cooking)
Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...
of gram flour
Gram flour
Gram flour is a cereal flour made from ground chickpeas. It is also known as chickpea flour, garbanzo flour, or besan . Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in...
, the patties are deep-fried.
Vada pav is typically served with a chutney
Chutney
Chutney is a a condiment used in South Asian cuisine that usually contains a spice and vegetable mix.Chutneys are wet or dry, having a coarse to fine texture. The Anglo-Indian loan word refers to fresh and pickled preparations indiscriminately, with preserves often sweetened. At least several...
(sauce) which is commonly made out of shredded coconut
Coconut
The coconut palm, Cocos nucifera, is a member of the family Arecaceae . It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos. The term coconut can refer to the entire coconut palm, the seed, or the fruit, which is not a botanical nut. The spelling cocoanut is an old-fashioned form of the word...
“meat”, tamarind
Tamarind
Tamarind is a tree in the family Fabaceae. The genus Tamarindus is monotypic .-Origin:...
pulp, and garlic
Garlic
Allium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion genus, Allium. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, chive, and rakkyo. Dating back over 6,000 years, garlic is native to central Asia, and has long been a staple in the Mediterranean region, as well as a frequent...
.
Variations of the above basic dish include "cheese vada pav" (where slices of cheese are added); there is "schezwan vada pav" (where the pav is layered with schezwan sauce); "samosa pav" (where a "samosa
Samosa
A samosa is a stuffed, deep fried,snack that is very popular in the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, Central Asia and Southwest Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, the Mediterranean, the Horn of Africa, North Africa and South Africa...
" is used instead of a vada); and "Jain vada pav" (where vada ingredients do not include onions, garlic and potatoes). Vada pav served in the nearby state of Gujarat is usually fried in Butter or edible Oil. The Pav is first fried in a mixture of Butter or Oil and dried red chilly powder. After that the chutney is applied in the hot fried Pav and the Vada is placed in between. This is the only difference between Vada pav in Gujarat and Maharashtra. In the state of Gujarat, the original unfried Vada Pav recipe is referred to as "Bombay Vada Pav".
This dish was initially started as the most cheapest form of a meal for low income group, but due to its taste, this dish became so popular that many sophisticated hotels also have started dishing out this wonderful dish, at extra cost of course. However, this dish has still retained its charm as an evergreen dish, and many people have it at breakfast, lunch or even dinner as well.
Private Food Chains
Private food chains have started selling vada pavs. Jumboking Foods Pvt. Ltd. is known to be India's Largest Selling Vadapav. Ashok Wada Pav near Kirti College, Dadar is very famous vendor in Mumbai. The vada pav that this stall serves is piping hot with green chutney & tamarind jaggery chutney. Goli Vada PavGoli Vada Pav
Goli Vada Pav is an Indian ethnic snack chain offering the staple Mumbai street food vadapav in standardized, hygienic manner at economic pricing there by becoming an alternative to traditional fast food....
a chain of 'Quick service restaurants’ is famous for its vada pav especially the ones with varied stuffings.
Gajanan Vada Pao centre and Durga in Thane is well known. Joshi Vadevale is one of the popular vadapav chains in Pune, but most famous among the locales is a particular street joint named JJ Garden Vada Pav. Shiv-Vada is also a popular vada pav chain. Many street corner cart vendors are spread across all small & big cities and towns. Many have developed their own 'customer following'.