Vada Pav

Boil the potatoes until soft, cool, peel and mash. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add black mustard seeds and a pinch of asafoetida; once the seeds start to crackle, add chopped curry leaves, ginger, garlic and green chili, and sauté for 1 minute.

Add turmeric, the mashed potatoes and salt to taste, mix well and cook through for 3–4 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in chopped coriander and let the mixture cool completely.

For the batter, mix gram flour (besan), rice flour, turmeric and salt to taste with water until you get a thick, smooth batter that drips slowly off a spoon.

Shape the potato mixture into 4 round balls. Dip each ball carefully into the batter, coating it completely.

Heat oil for deep-frying to a medium temperature of about 170–175°C. Fry the vadas in batches for 3–4 minutes, turning occasionally, until the coating is golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.

Slit the pav buns lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Spread green chutney, tamarind chutney and dry garlic chutney on the inner sides.

Sandwich a hot potato vada inside each bun, press down lightly and serve the vada pav immediately.