Enjoy Airfryer Vadapav Cooked To Perfection With An Easy Recipe

From samosas to golgappa, India is home to a variety of street foods. People love them not only for their scrumptious taste but also for their affordable prices. Each region has some special street delights that are famous across the country, such as dabeli from Gujarat, daulat ki chaat from Delhi, and mirchi vada from Rajasthan. Another popular street food is Mumbai’s vada pav. Originating in Maharashtra, this savoury dish consists of a crispy and spicy potato fritter sandwiched between a soft and fluffy bread known as pav, along with tangy chutneys, onions, fried green chillies, and aromatic spices.

The history of vada pav dates to the 1960s, when a street vendor named Ashok Vaidya started selling a potato fritter sandwiched between two slices of bread in the city of Mumbai. The dish was an instant hit among the locals and soon became a popular street food item in the city. The popularity of vada pav continued to grow, and today it is one of the most iconic street foods in India. After talking so much about this delicacy, why not try making it at home in a healthier way?

Traditionally, vada, i.e., the potato fritter, is deep-fried in oil, which makes vada pav a little unhealthy for people who are conscious about their diets and refrain from fried foods. But that doesn’t mean you have to restrain yourself from enjoying it. The potato fritter can also be prepared in an air fryer with very little oil, making it an ideal crunchy snack for health-conscious people too. According to WebMD, using an air fryer instead of deep-frying in oil cuts calories by 70–80% as it cooks your food by blowing hot air around it. So, here is an easy recipe to make your favourite vada pav in an air fryer:

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 

Ingredients 

For potato stuffing:

• 3 potatoes boiled and peeled
• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 8 curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
• 1 green chilli pepper, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 inch of ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
• 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice

For Batter 

• 3/4 cup of gram flour
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup of water
• 1/2 tablespoon oil

Other Ingredients 

• 8 dinner rolls (pav)
• 2 tablespoons of ghee or butter
• 2 tablespoons chilli garlic chutney
• Mint-coriander chutney
• Tamarind chutney

Method 

For Batter 

• Mix all the batter ingredients together to form a thick, smooth paste. Let this batter rest until you prepare the stuffing.

For Stuffing 

• Mash the boiled, peeled potatoes using your hand or a potato masher. You want them broken down, but not mushy.
• In a pan on the stovetop, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds pop.
• Add asafoetida, minced green chilli, ginger, and garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds until the raw smell is gone.
• Add salt, turmeric, and cilantro, and then quickly add the potatoes. Mix well.  
• Add lemon juice and mix well with the potatoes. Take the potato stuffing off the heat and let it cool.

For Vada 

• Make small to medium-sized balls with the potato stuffing using your hand.
• Brush oil on the air fryer grill pan.
• Mix the batter you prepared so it is smooth. Dip the potato balls in the batter, coat them evenly, and place them on the air fryer grill pan.
• Set the air fryer at 390°F and cook for 14 minutes.
• Carefully remove the vadas from the grill pan.

Preparing Vada Pav

• While the vada is being prepared, slit the pav in the middle (or slice it into two pieces).
• Heat butter in a pan and place the sliced pav on it. Lightly toast on one side, and then turn to toast on the other side.
• Apply tamarind and green chutney on one side. Add some dry chilli-garlic chutney. Place the cooked vada in between the pav and press gently. Serve immediately.