The Classic

Vada Pav

Recipe Gets A Seafood Spin, Here's How To Make It

Prawn vada pav recipe takes Mumbai's classic potato-stuffed vada pav and rebuilds it with the region’s favourite kolambi or prawns. With the FDA banning the sale of junk food, like samosas and vada pavs, within 50 metres of school premises, you can treat your children with the occasional indulgence through these protein-rich vada pavs, ready for when they come home. The batata vada is where the change happens, and the rest remains the same, from the thecha-coated prawn mix to the lesun chutney. Thecha is a coarsely ground paste of spicy green chillies, garlic, and ginger that's traditionally eaten as a Maharashtrian condiment. It is also something that is served with the Lonavala vada pav recipe, but here it marinates the prawns instead. The prawn mix is made in a jiffy with the turmeric-and-salt marinated prawns sautéed with spices like coriander powder, jeera powder, and more turmeric, with the typical tadka added. Since prawns cook far faster than potatoes, the filling stage takes only a few minutes. Where this version of the vada pav recipe departs most from the original is texture, and of course nutrition. Instead of a soft, rounded vada, the prawn mixture is coated in a simple besan batter and deep-fried for golden balls with the juicy prawns inside. There will be besan bits left behind in the hot oil; those are not wasted and instead go into making a punchy lasun chutney. The vada pav is assembled hot inside a soft, fresh bakery pav with a smear of that garlicky chutney.