Shivani’s request
Make very tasty, crispy vada’s with spicy garlic chutney and pavs.. you’ll love it!
Her story
It ll take a very long time for me to be able to tell you about my feeling for Vada pav. There’s so much of Vada-pav in my life!
I grew up in Mumbai. Vadapav was destined to be the first street food I ever had. I believe that the world’s best Vada-pavs is made by the uncle who has a hathgadi in front of the gate of my home from when I was little. Let me try to define his Vadas; They were fiery and crunchy and they came with chewy, bland Pavs and one hell of a garlic chutney! One of my earliest memories of Vada-pav is from when I was 7; I had 3 of them for dinner and suffered from hyper-acidity the next day. Hyperacidity to a 7-year-old! That was also the first time I realized that ‘Love Hurts’.
Between the and now, I’ve had Vada-pavs for dinner, lunch and breakfast. I’ve had Vada-pavs when I was broke, I’ve had Vada-pavs to celebrate payday. I’ve had Vada-pavs when I was happy, when I was lonely. I’ve had the station wala ₹5 ka Vadapav, I’ve had the fancy ₹150 Vadapav. Tip: When asked if you want teekhi chutney, meethi chutney or both with you Vada-pav, say only teekhi chutney, always!
I’m not a foodie or especially fond potatoes, but I can have Vada-pav after a full course meal. I can also be bribed with Vada-pavs. Yes, plural.
My experience making, eating and feeding Vada Pav
- You can’t replicate street. No matter how much sweat, joy or mirchi you put into your Pani-puri or Vada-pav, you cannot make it taste like the thela version.
- Lesson: Always add 2 chilis more than the recipe tells you to.
- Vadas are easy to make. I do not know why I had imagined it to be unthinkably hard. If I could only figure the secret street ingredient!
- I thought I was neutral to no feeling about Vada pavs till I took my bite. I realized that I had missed eating it only after I had it. I’d like someone to coin a word for this feeling of ‘retrospective missing’
- Reading and writing Shivani’s story gave me joy. I smiled all the way and carried the joy everywhere. I took some with me while cooking. R sat on the kitchen counter while I cooked, we listened to A. R. Rehman and danced. Dadi I had the first batch when everyone was away. We shared a mirchi and an unadorned moment.
Vada Pav has been a good friend. I never ate it growing up, didn’t think too highly of it either because it is all potato and I do not like potatoes. But when I landed in college I had it almost every day. Nothing was open at 7:30 in the morning and I didn’t want to be the growly stomach that intrupts the class’ sleep! So I grabed 2 Vada-pavs from the tapri every morning and ran to class. Every time at a railway station wary of other food I would pick vada pav.
This gives me a warm feeling about it. It is like that friend, who even if she doesn’t know how to help, will show up when you are in trouble. And you are not facing anything alone.
Recipe
https://www.cookwithmanali.com/vada-pav/
Tip: Add more chilli than it recommends