Vada Pav

Vada Pav
Makes ~25 Vadas

Grocery:
8 potatoes
1 cup frozen peas
4 cloves garlic, peeled                                                                          
2 green chilis
1/2 cup coriander with stems
1/2 cup roasted cashews
2 cups besan flower
Canola oil for deep frying
Pav or hamburger buns

Masala Rack:
1/4 tspn. garam masala
1 tspn. coriander
1/2 tspn. turmeric
1/2 tspn. lal mirch
3 tspn. salt
Mint chutney
Tamarind chutney
Chili garlic chutney

1. Vadas: Boil ~8 potatoes and 1 cup of frozen peas.  Peel the potatoes andmash with the peas in a mixing bowl using a potato masher or a big spoon.
2.In a food processor, chop the garlic, green chilis, cashews and coriander and then mix into the potato-pea mixture.  Mix in the garam masala, coriander powder and 2 tspn. salt.  Break off portions of the mixture and roll in your palms into round balls.
3. Batter: Make the batter by mixing the besan slowly with ~1 cup water in a mixing bowl.  The batter shouldn’t be watery or too thick.  Mix in the turmeric, lal mirch and 1 tspn salt.
4. Heat enough oil for deep frying the vadas.  Dip each vada into the batter and then gently roll into the oil for deep frying.
5. Pav: Spread Olivio on the insides of both halves of the buns.  Pan fry each half until the insides are golden.
6. Vada + Pav: Smear mint, tamarind and chili garlic chutney on one side of the pav.  Place the vada on top, then the other side of the pav and gently smush.  Then, open your mouth wide and enjoy the “mouthful” – the “mouth-feel.”  We put the chutneys out and then each assembled our own vada pavs – it’s more fun that way and let’s you choose how much chutney (i.e. heat) you can handle.