Zapappy

Name: Vada Pav
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled, peeled, and roughly mashed; 2 tbsp avocado oil; 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1/2 tsp cumin seeds; 12 curry leaves; 1/4 tsp asafoetida; 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste; 2 green chiles, minced; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 2 tbsp chopped cilantro; 1 1/2 cups besan; 1/4 cup rice flour; 1/2 tsp ground turmeric; 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder; 3/4 tsp kosher salt; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 3/4 cup water, plus more as needed; 1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut; 1/4 cup roasted peanuts; 2 tbsp sesame seeds; 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 6 cups plus 1 tbsp avocado oil, divided, divided; 1 tbsp for chutney and the rest for frying; 1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder; 1/2 tsp kosher salt, for chutney; 8 pav rolls

Cooking

Ingredients

Potato Vada

2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled, peeled, and roughly mashed
2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
12 curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 green chiles, minced
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Batter and Chutney

1 1/2 cups besan
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup water, plus more as needed
1/2 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 tbsp sesame seeds
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
6 cups plus 1 tbsp avocado oil, divided, divided; 1 tbsp for chutney and the rest for frying
1 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chile powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt, for chutney
8 pav rolls

Directions

Make the Potato Vada Filling

Heat the first avocado oil in a large skillet. Add the black mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook until the mustard seeds pop, 30-45 seconds.
Add the curry leaves and asafoetida and cook until the curry leaves sputter and the asafoetida’s raw sulfurous edge softens, without scorching, 10 seconds.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste, green chiles, first turmeric, and first kosher salt and cook until the raw aroma softens, 30 seconds.
Fold in the Yukon Gold potatoes and cook, mashing lightly with a potato masher, until the filling is cohesive and no wet spots remain, 3-4 minutes.
Stir in the cilantro, cool for 10 minutes, then shape into 8 compact balls.

Make the Dry Garlic Chutney

Wipe the skillet clean. Toast the dried unsweetened coconut, peanuts, and sesame seeds over medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden, 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Heat the second avocado oil in the skillet. Fry the garlic until pale golden, 1-2 minutes, then transfer it and the oil to the toasted coconut mixture.
Grind the toasted mixture with the second Kashmiri chile powder and third kosher salt in a food processor until coarse and sandy, not pasty.

Mix the Batter and Fry

In a mixing bowl, whisk the besan, rice flour, second turmeric, first Kashmiri chile powder, second kosher salt, baking soda, and water into a thick batter that falls slowly from the whisk.
Heat frying oil in a deep-fry pot to 350F. Dip the potato balls in batter, let the excess drip briefly, and fry until crisp and golden, 4-5 minutes.

Assemble the Vada Pav

Split the pav rolls, sprinkle generously with dry garlic chutney, add the hot vada, and press gently before serving.