BAKED VADA PAV | PAV BUN

Vada Pav is an iconic chaat famous in Maharashtra, baked vada pav is a healthier version of the snack. Traditionally, vada pav has a fried potato vada sandwiched in between a pav (bun). Along with these are the Green Chutney and a Garlic Powder. I will soon put up the recipes for those too.

To prepare this baked vada pav, we first need to prepare the yeast dough. The toughest part of this recipe is the waiting. We will be proofing this yeast dough for atleast 2 hours. And once it has risen, we can divide it and fill it with the potato stuffing. Again, we will let it rest for half hour, and then bake it until its golden brown. Now, this recipe is a little lengthy, but in the end it is totally worth it. We had these for dinner yesterday, and it was amazing. With this recipe here, you can also skip the potato filling and make plain buns. Or you can make any other filling (mushroom, paneer, mixed vegetables) and bake them inside the bun. I have also included the steps for how to make plain buns using the same dough recipe. (See below notes).

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BAKED VADA PAV

In this recipe, we will be seeing a less oily version of the iconic Vada Pav. Instead of frying the vada, we will be baking the masala inside the bun.

Prep Time15 mins

Active Time45 mins

Resting Time2 hrs 30 mins

Total Time4 hrs

Course: Chaat, dinner

Cuisine: Street Food

Keyword: Baked, Bun, How to make Baked Vada Pav?, How to mke Vada Pav at Home?, Mumbai Vada Pav, Stuffed Baked Vada Pav, Vada Pav

Yield: 12 pieces

Author: SAI SMRITHI

Materials

• 3 tbsp Milk To brush on buns
• 3 tbsp Softened Butter To brush on buns
• 2 tbsp Toasted Sesame Seeds Garnish (optional)

Pav / Bun Dough

• 4 Cups All Purpose Floor See notes 1
• 1 1/4 tbsp Instant Dry Yeast See notes 2 if using active dry yeast
• 1 3/4 Cups Lukewarm Water See notes 3
• 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt

Potato filling

• 2 Potatoes Large
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2 inch Ginger
• 7-8 Curry Leaves
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
• 1-2 Green Chillies
• 5-6 Garlic Cloves
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves
• Salt To taste

Instructions

For Preparing Pav/Bun

• Measure the given amount of flour and set it aside.
  
• In a large mixing bowl, take 3/4 of the total measured flour, and add 1 1/4 tbsps of instant dry yeast to it. We will add the remaining flour while kneading.
  
• Add the given amount of salt and sugar to it. While adding salt, make sure it does not fall directly on top of the yeast as this can sometimes kill the yeast. Mix these together with a fork or spoon.
  
• Make a well in the centre and add 2 tbsps of vegetable oil. Mix it into the flour mixture.
  
• Now, gradually add the lukewarm water and start kneading. Also add in the rest of the flour while kneading. Don't add all the water all at once, as sometimes we will get a cohesive dough without using the entire amount of water. Knead for 6-8 minutes or until you get a soft ball of dough.
  
• Now place the dough ball in a well oiled vessel. Cover the vessel with a lid, plate or a damp cloth and place it in a warm and moist place.
  
• Allow the dough to rest for about 2 hours or until it has doubled in size.
  
• Gently punch the dough to release the air trapped inside.
  
• Transfer the dough to a dusted work surface, and knead it for a minute. I then divided my dough ball into two pieces, and set one aside. And further divided the half into 6 equal pieces. Do the same with the other half too.
  

Making the potato filling

• Crush the garlic cloves, ginger and green chillies using a mortar and pestle (I didn't have one of those, so I just used my rolling pin).
  
• Heat oil in a kadai, and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.
  
• Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves and asafoetida.
  
• Lastly, add the crushed garlic, ginger and green chillies along with turmeric powder.
  
• Finally, add the boiled, mashed and peeled potatoes to this. Add the chopped coriander leaves, and salt. Mix it all together. And allow this filling to cool down a bit. Once it is cool, divide it into 12 balls.
  

Assembling the vada pav

• Prepare the baking dishes by placing parchment paper on the bottom, and rubbing butter on the sides. I baked it in three batches, as my baking dishes were not too big. However, if you have bigger dishes, divide the dough balls accordingly.
  
• Take the divided dough balls, and flatten it on the palm of your hand.
  
• Place a teaspoon of the garlic vada pav powder. Note the way I have flattened the dough, with a depression in the centre where we will place our filling, and thin edges for easy folding.
  
• Place the potato filling ball on top of the garlic vada pav powder.
  
• Fold the edges to cover the filling, pinch and close them.
  
• Tuck the pinched part in.
  
• Place it into the baking dish, leaving atleast 1 inch distance between the buns for them to rise. Cover the baking dish with a moist cloth and let it sit for half hour.
  
• Preheat the oven to 200 deg C, and in the meantime, brush milk on top of the buns and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake these in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Then take them out, brush butter on top of the buns, and bake for another 10 minutes at 180 deg C. Take it out, let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
  

Notes

1. If you are reluctant to include too much maida (all purpose flour) in your diet, substitute maida with wheat flour in 1:1 ratio. For 4 cups of flour, use 2 cups AP flour and 2 cups wheat flour. Sprinkle a little more water when kneading, as wheat absorbs more water. 
2. If you are using active dry yeast, take the given amount of yeast, with the given amount of sugar along with lukewarm water in a bowl. Mix it well until the yeast dissolves, and let it bloom for 10 minutes. Then add the yeast water to the other ingredients and start kneading. 
3. Lukewarm water here refers to water that is just hot enough that you can put your finger in it without shouting ow that’s hot. It is very important that the water is not too hot or too cold for the yeast to survive. 

Making plain buns with this dough recipe