Cooking up Comfort - Vada Pav

Looks like the foggy rainy weather is here to stay - atleast for tonite. And what else can you do on a louzy night like this than sit back with a good movie and of course some spicy comfort food! Not one to run out of ideas, I had just the perfect recipe in mind to celebrate with, and one I just knew hubby dear would absolutely flip for! A large part of Indian comfort food consists of spicy tantalizing street food. Wherever you look, at every street corner, there stands a hawker frying up these little tasty treats in large quantities. And its no surprise that his tray gets empty as soon as it is filled! The monsoons in India certainly boasts of many comforting specialities. One of my personal favourites of this weather is the Vada-Pav - a yummy potato fritter sandwiched between soft buns (called Pav) spread with a tangy chutney. One bite and sip of warm chai is enough to give you all the comfort you are looking for!

Vada Pav

Ingredients: 2 large potatoes, boiled and mashed 1 small onion, chopped 2-3 green chillies, chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp coriander seeds 1 tsp ginger, chopped 1 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder salt, to taste 1 cup gram/chickpea flour water, as needed a pinch of baking soda oil for deep frying slices of bread/buns of your choice 3-4 tbsp of Tamarind Chutney Method: In a non-stick pan, heat a little oil and saute cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green chillies and ginger till fragrant. Add in onions and fry till they get transparent. Add salt, red chili powder and turmeric powder and fry for a minute. Throw in mashed potatoes and mix well to incorporate with the spices. Add coriander leaves and mix well. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl, mis flour with salt, baking soda and water, and make a batter just thick enough to coat. Heat oil for deep frying in a skillet. Make potato mixture into golf-sized balls and dip into the batter. Fry till golden on all sides. These fritters are called Bondas/Vadas. To assemble, heat bread/bun slices on a warm pan and spread chutney evenly on one side on a slice. Put 1-2 bondas (depending on the size of the bread slice) and top with a second slice. Serve warm and enjoy with delicious Masala Chai!