Maharashtra -- Vada Pav (famous Street food from Mumbai)

Blogging Marathon# 39 - Indian States: Day 16
State: Maharashtra
Dish: Vada Pav

We are going to Maharashtra, in the western coast of India. It is the second most populous state and the third largest state by area in India. Maharashtra occupies the western and central part of the country and has a long coastline nearly 720kms along the Arabian sea.
Maharashtra is divided into 5 geographic regions: Konkan is the western coastal region. Kandesh is the northwestern region. Desh is the center of the state. Marathwada is located in the southeastern part of the state. Vidarbha is the easternmost region of the state.
Maharashtra is the most industrialized state and has maintained its leading position in the industrial sector in India. The state is pioneer in small scale industries.
Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) is the capital of the State and is the financial capital of India. I have never visited Mumbai, but from what I've heard and seen in movies, it sounds like it is almost like New York -- crowded and always bustling with activity. India's main stock exchange, capital market and commodity exchange are all located in Mumbai. It is also the home of India movie industry, Bollywood.

Cuisine: Maharashtrian cuisine covers a range from being mild to very spicy dishes.
Staple Food: Wheat, rice, jowar, bajri, lentils, vegetables and fruit.
Specialties: Puran Poli, Ukdiche Modak, Batata wada, Thalipeeth, Misal Pav, Bhadang, Ukad, Amti etc.

Today's Dish: Street food is one of the characteristic of Mumbai. Mumbai is known for its distinctive street foods and people from all economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds enjoy their street food in Mumbai. So I decided to make one of the most popular street food from Mumbai, Vada Pav. Other favorites include Pani puri, Bhel puri, Sandwiches, Ragda pattice, Pav bhaji etc.,

I never tasted vada pav and it wasn't until recently that I came to know that it is nothing but our own aloo bonda served as a burger between buns. My mom used to make aloo bonda quite frequently and I still remember forming the aloo rounds/ balls while my mom dipped them in besan and fried them up. Those bondas sandwiched between buns slathered with spicy, sweet chutneys transform them into very addictive snack.

I actually made another dish for Maharashtra a while back, but changed my mind and made this last week. Since my husband was travelling and I was making them only me and the kids, I used tha paniyaram pan to cook the bondas instead of deep frying them. Honestly I couldn't tell the difference once they were placed in the bread. All in all, this is a very filling and addictive snack.

Ingredients:

For the Vada/ Aloo Bonda:
Curry:
Potatoes - 2 medium, boiled and chopped
Ginger - 1" piece, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves, finely minced
Green chili - 1~2, finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Turmeric - ½tsp
Red chili powder - ½tsp (or more to taste)
Salt - to taste

For the Cover:
Besan/ Chickpea flour - ½cup
Rice flour - 2tbsp
Red chili powder - ½tsp (or more to taste)
Ground Cumin - ¼tsp
Baking Soda - a pinch
Salt - to taste

Other Ingredients:
Pav/ Buns - 6~8 (homemade or store bought)
Green Chutney - as needed
Date-Tamarind Chutney - as needed
Peanut~Garlic Chutney - as needed (recipe follows)

Method:

• Make the Potato Curry: Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan; add the mustard seeds and once the seeds start to splutter, add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Next add the chopped potatoes, mix well and cook for 4~5 minutes. Mash the potatoes while mixing.
• Add the dry masalas and salt. Mix well and cook for another 2~3 minutes. 
• Let the curry cool completely. Then divide the curry into small lemon size balls.
• Prepare the batter for Covering: Combine all the ingredients for the cover and mix well. Add enough water to make a amooth, thick batter.
• Make Vada/ Bonda: Heat appam pan on medium heat. Add 1tsp oil in each of the indentations of the pan. Dip the curry balls in the batter and gently place them in the appam pan. Cook until golden on all sides. Remove onto paper towel lined plate.
• To make Vada-Pav: Heat 2tsp butter on a tawa, add 2tsp peanut-garlic chutney and cook for 1~2 minutes. Place the slit bun on the chutney and cook for 1 minute. Remove onto a plate; add green chutney and tamarind chutney on both sides of the bun. Put a vada/ bonda on the bun, flatten it slightly and close the bun. then ENJOY!!

Shingdaana Lehsun Chutney/ Peanut-Garlic Chutney for Chaats: Recipe adapted from Valli's recipe here.

Ingredients:

Peanuts - ¼cup

Dry grated Coconut - ½cup

Garlic - 5~6

Sesame Seeds - 3tbsp

Dry red chili - 1

Salt - to taste

Method:

• Dry roast peanuts, coconut and sesame seeds separately until nicely toasted. Set aside to cool.
• Blend coconut, sesame seeds, garlic, salt and red chili. Finally add the peanuts and grind into a coarse paste. I had to add water because my blender refused to move without it. 

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 39.

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