snack

Bite-sized, packed with flavour, and an instant crowd-pleaser, it’s the ideal savoury snack to balance out all the festive sweets. This recipe, from Mayuri’s Jikoni, gives the humble Indian vada pav a mini makeover that’s just right for entertaining guests. And what better way to add a twist to the celebrations than by marking National Burger Day with a true desi classic?

Ingredients:

For the vada: 1 cup mashed potato, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 1 green chili finely chopped, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, ¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi), ¼ tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp goda masala, 1 to 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, ½ cup besan (chickpea flour, chana flour), 1 tbsp rice flour, ¼ to ⅓ cup water, a generous pinch of salt, a generous pinch of turmeric powder (haldi)

For the peanut chutney: ½ cup peanuts roasted, 3 to 4 dry red chillis lightly roasted, 4 to 6 cloves of garlic, ½ tsp tamarind paste, 1 tsp jaggery powder, ½ tsp salt, 1 to 2 tsp red chilli powder

For the green chutney: 1 cup fresh coriander roughly chopped, 1 cup fresh mint roughly chopped, 1 cup raw mango cut into pieces, ¼ cup peanuts roasted, 1 inch ginger peeled and chopped, 2–3 green chillis, ¼ cup water, ½–¾ tsp salt, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp grated jaggery/sugar

Pav or bread: 22/24 bread slices cut into 2-inch circles, butter, and ghee

Method:

Start by mixing all the vada ingredients together, then roll them into small balls. If the mixture sticks, lightly oil your hands. Set aside. The for the coating batter, whisk together all the batter ingredients until smooth, make sure the consistency of the batter is neither too thick nor too thin. Then onto the chutneys. Grind all the ingredients into a coarse powder and transfer to separate serving bowls.

As for the bread, cut round shapes from bread slices using a tart mould, lid, or cookie cutter. Lightly toast each slice in a pan with butter or ghee on both sides until golden. Set aside.

Frying the vadas:

Heat oil in a deep pan. Test with a drop of batter — it should sizzle immediately. Dip potato balls in the batter, coat well, then fry until crisp and golden. Drain and set aside. Now smear a little green chutney on each toasted bread slice. Place one fried vada on top, sprinkle peanut chutney generously, and if you like, add a few pomegranate arils for freshness. Serve hot.

Tips:

Keep toasted bread slices and fried vadas warm in the oven until serving. Chutneys can be prepared a day in advance and stored in the fridge to make it easy to assemble when guests arrive. And for spice lovers, add a side of fried green chillis.

This Mini Vada Pav is the perfect mix of festive flavour and playful presentation. Whether you’re hosting a Ganesh Chaturthi get-together or simply looking for a vegetarian-friendly burger option, this recipe is bound to be a showstopper.