Vada Pav is the humble street food of Mumbai. A fried potato fritter or vada, is stuffed in between mini-burger buns called pav, along with sweet and spicy sauces or chutney.
Mix all batter ingredients together to form a thick smooth paste. Let this batter rest until you prepare the stuffing.
Preparing stuffing
Mash the boiled peeled potatoes using your hand or a potato masher. You want them broken down, but not mushy.
In a pan on stovetop (or in the instant pot on saute mode), heat oil. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds pop.
Add asafoetida, minced green chili, ginger, garlic and saute for 30 seconds until the raw smell is gone.
Add salt, turmeric, cilantro and then quickly add the potatoes. Mix well.
Add lemon juice and mix well with the potatoes. Take the potato stuffing off heat and let it cool.
Preparing Vada
Make small to medium sized balls with the potato stuffing using your hand.
Brush oil on the air fryer grill pan.
Mix the batter you prepared so it is smooth. Dip the potato balls in the batter, coat evenly and place them on the air fryer grill pan. Depending on the space you have add 4 or more at once, keeping space between the vada's.
Set at 390°F in Air fryer for 14 minutes. Check half way through.
Carefully remove the vada's from the grill pan.
Preparing vada pav
While the vada are being prepared, apply a cut from one side on the pav (or slice them into 2 pieces).
Heat butter on a pan and place the sliced pav on it. Lightly toast on one side and then turn to toast on the other side.
Apply tamarind and green chutney on one side. Add some dry chili garlic chutney. Place the cooked vada in between the pav and press gently. Serve immediately.