Mumbai Vada Pav with Japanese bakery rolls

Vada pav is Mumbai's favourite street snack, and it travels well. The pav (soft bread roll) is the part people worry about abroad, but the soft バターロール sold in every Japanese supermarket is almost exactly right. Pick plain ones without a glaze.

Ingredients

Potato filling

• 4 medium potatoes (男爵 are best), boiled and peeled
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of hing
• 8–10 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• ½ tsp turmeric, salt, lemon juice and coriander

Batter and to serve

• 1 cup besan (gram flour), a pinch of turmeric, salt and baking soda
• About ¾ cup water, oil for deep frying
• 6 soft bread rolls
• Dry garlic chutney and mint-coriander chutney

Method

1. Make the filling

   Heat the oil, crackle the mustard seeds, then add hing, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste and green chillies for 30 seconds. Add turmeric, then the coarsely mashed potatoes, salt, lemon and coriander. Mix well and let it cool.

2. Shape

   Divide into 6 and roll into balls, then flatten slightly so they fit the rolls.

3. Mix the batter

   Whisk the besan, turmeric, salt and a pinch of soda with water to a thick batter that coats a spoon, like pancake batter.

4. Fry

   Heat the oil to 175 °C. Dip each ball in the batter and fry 2–3 at a time until crisp and golden, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper.

5. Assemble

   Slit the rolls without cutting through, spread green chutney inside, sprinkle dry garlic chutney generously, and press in a hot vada.

The Mumbai touch

Fry a few slit green chillies in the same oil for 20 seconds, sprinkle with salt, and serve on the side.