Bonda/Vada Pav

Sometimes spelled wada pav, is a popular vegetarian fast food dish native to the Indian state of Maharashtra. It consists of a batata vada (called bonda in South India) sandwiched between two 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. Vada pav was supposedly devised by snack vendor Ashok Vaidya outside Dadar station in 1971.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.



Batter
Ingredients

2 cups bengal gram flour
1/4 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp Ajwain
Chopped coriander leaves

Mix the gram flour, jeera , Ajwain and chopped coriander leaves with enough water and salt to taste, to make a thick, smooth paste. Keep aside.

Masala for Potato(Batata) Vada :

Ingredients

3-4 (big) potatoes or 6-7 (small) boiled, peeled and mashed/grated
2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
3 green chillies
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
3/4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
6-7 curry leaves
handful of coriander leaves
a pinch of hing/asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

Vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Heat oil in a kadai add mustard seeds fry till the seeds stop spluttering. , then add jeera and a pinch of hing .
2. Add the chopped green chilly , curry leaves and ginger garlic paste
3. Fry them till the ginger garlic leaves the raw smell.
4. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder fry them for 2 second and immediately add the boiled and mashed potato.
5. Mix it well and add salt to it as per taste.
6. Allow it to cool down and divide the potato mix into portions slighter smaller than a tennis ball. Smoothen by rolling between slightly greased palms.


To fry the vada's

Heat the oil for deep frying on a medium flame.
When the oil is hot, dip one potato ball at a time into the gram flour batter to coat well and then deep fry till golden. Drain on paper towels.

For Serving :

6 Pav buns
1 cup Tamarind Chutney
1 cup Mint-Coriander Chutney
1/2 cup Shengdaana Lehsun Chutney (peanut garlic chutney)
1 onion chopped

Take one Pav bun, slit in half (not completely - leave one edge joined) and put a spoonful each of Tamarind Chutney, Mint-Coriander Chutney and Shengdaana Lehsun Chutney (peanut garlic chutney) each on it and put some raw chopped onion on it . Place a potato vada on the bun and fold over, pressing down gently. Serve while the potato vada is still hot.




Tips:

1. I prefer to grate the boiled potatoes, it is easier , quick and the result is also good .
2. Do not add too much oil while spluttering mustard seeds, this will make the masala for the vada very soggy.

Nutritional Facts :

AMOUNT PER SERVING : 1 no.
Calories 274
Total Fat 14 g
Carbohydrates 32 g
Protein 6 g
( These information may not be accurate. Varies according to cooking styles, type of oil used and various other factors)