Make it at home
How to make Vada Pav at home.
Vada Pav takes 1 hour and serves 4 (8 vada pav). This guide gives the ingredients in cups and spoons, the steps in order and the mistakes that most often go wrong.
From the Tapri Chai kitchen · November 2026 · 4 min read
Time
1 hour
Serves
4 (8 vada pav)
Skill
Medium
Method
Shallow or deep fry
What you need
Quantities serve 4 (8 vada pav). Measurements are in cups, spoons and grams so you can use whichever you prefer.
- 4 medium potatoes (about 800 g), boiled and peeled
- 1 tbsp oil, plus oil for deep frying
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8 to 10 curry leaves
- 1 inch fresh ginger, 4 garlic cloves and 2 green chillies, ground to a paste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric and salt to taste
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander and the juice of half a lemon
- For the batter: 1 cup (120 g) gram flour, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, a pinch of baking soda, salt and about 1/2 cup water
- 8 soft pav buns or slider rolls, and butter for toasting
- For the garlic chutney: 1/4 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut, 8 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp chilli powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- For the green chutney: 1 cup coriander, 2 green chillies, 1 tbsp lemon juice, salt
Step by step
Cool the potato filling fully before you shape it. Warm filling is sticky and falls apart in the batter.
Make the potato filling
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, crackle the mustard seeds, then add the curry leaves and the ginger-garlic-chilli paste. Stir for a minute, add the turmeric, then the mashed potato, salt, coriander and lemon juice. Mix well and let it cool completely.
Shape the vadas
Divide the filling into 8 balls the size of a small lime and press each one slightly flat so it cooks through evenly.
Mix the batter
Whisk the gram flour, turmeric, chilli powder, baking soda and salt with enough water to make a thick batter that coats the back of a spoon without running off.
Fry until golden
Heat oil to about 170 to 175 C (340 to 350 F). Dip each ball in the batter and lower it in. Fry in batches for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until deep golden and crisp. Drain on paper.
Make the chutneys
For the garlic chutney, toast the coconut in a dry pan for a minute, cool it, then grind with the garlic, chilli powder and salt into a coarse powder. For the green chutney, blend the coriander, chillies, lemon and salt with a spoonful of water.
Assemble and toast
Split each pav, spread green chutney on one side and garlic chutney on the other, and press a hot vada inside. Toast the buns on a buttered pan for a minute until the outside is lightly crisp.
01
Tips for a better result
A few habits separate a good vada pav from a great one.
- Boil the potatoes whole and let them dry before mashing, so the filling is not watery.
- Keep the oil at a steady temperature. Too cool and the batter soaks it up, too hot and the outside burns before the inside is hot.
- Do not skip the garlic chutney. It is what makes it taste like Mumbai.
02
Mistakes to avoid
These are the usual reasons a batch goes wrong.
- Using warm filling, which makes the balls collapse in the batter.
- A thin batter that slides off and leaves bald patches.
- Crowding the pan, which drops the oil temperature and makes the vadas greasy.
03
Shopping for it in Canada
Most of this is easy to find, but a few things need a small substitution.
- Pav: soft dinner rolls or slider buns work well. Avoid crusty rolls.
- Gram flour (besan): Indian grocery stores sell it, and many supermarkets stock it as chickpea or garbanzo flour.
- Curry leaves: sold fresh or frozen at Indian grocers. Leave them out if you cannot find them.
- Coconut: use unsweetened desiccated coconut, not the sweetened baking kind.
04
Or let us make it
A good vada pav needs fresh potato, hot oil and two chutneys, which is a lot of work for a snack. Vada Pav is $5.49 CAD on our menu, at 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Barrhaven, Ottawa, Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm, closed Mondays.
Questions, answered.
How long does Vada Pav take to make?
About 1 hour from start to finish for 4 (8 vada pav).
Can I make Vada Pav ahead of time?
You can make the potato filling and both chutneys a day ahead and keep them in the fridge. Fry the vadas just before serving, because they lose their crispness as they sit.
What can I use instead of pav?
Soft dinner rolls or slider buns are the closest match in Canada. Avoid hard or crusty rolls, which overpower the soft fritter.
What do I serve with Vada Pav?
A cup of strong chai, fried green chillies and a little extra garlic chutney. For a bigger meal, add a plate of chaat.
Where can I order Vada Pav in Ottawa?
Tapri Chai in Barrhaven serves it. Vada Pav is $5.49 CAD on our menu. Tapri Chai is also listed on DoorDash and SkipTheDishes for delivery in Barrhaven and nearby parts of south Ottawa, so check which app serves your address.
At Tapri Chai
Taste it for yourself.
Our kitchen in Barrhaven is 100% vegetarian. 200 Kennevale Dr Unit 104, Ottawa. Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 11pm. Closed Mondays.