Air fryer vada pav is my no-deep-fry version of the popular Mumbai street food. A spiced potato filling is cooked with a simple tempering, shaped into balls, coated in a besan and red lentil flour batter, and cooked in the air fryer until lightly crisp.
If you enjoy Indian snacks in the air fryer, you may also like my air fryer batata vada, air fryer onion pakora and air fryer sabudana vada. This version is made specifically for vada pav, with the boiled potatoes cooked in a mustard seed and spice tempering before shaping.
Jump to:
- What is vada pav?
- Why make vada pav in the air fryer?
- How to make vada pav in air fryer? (recipe video)
- Ingredients for air fryer vada pav
- How to make vada pav in air fryer
- How to assemble vada pav
- Tips for making air fryer vada
- Vada pav vs batata vada
- Related recipes
- Air Fryer Vada Pav
- Frequently asked questions
What is vada pav?
Vada pav is a popular Mumbai snack made with a spicy potato vada served inside a soft pav. Traditionally, the potato filling is coated in gram flour batter and deep fried before being served with dry garlic chutney, green chutney and green chilli.
This vada pav recipe uses an air fryer instead. The potato vada is coated with a mixture of besan and red lentil flour, then air fried with a light spray of oil.
Why make vada pav in the air fryer?
Making vada pav in air fryer is a simple option when you want vada pav without deep frying. The coating cooks well in the fryer, while the inside stays soft and spicy.
I make these in my Ninja air fryer, but the same method can be used in another basket-style Indian air fryer. Cooking time can vary slightly between air fryer models.
How to make vada pav in air fryer? (recipe video)
Ingredients for air fryer vada pav
Refer to the recipe card for exact quantities. The recipe has three main parts: the potato filling, the flour coating and the pav with chutneys.
For the potato filling
- Boiled potatoes
- Oil
- Mustard seeds
- Curry leaves
- Ginger
- Green chilli
- Turmeric powder
- Red chilli powder or paprika
- Salt
For the flour coating
- besan or gram flour
- red lentil flour
- water
- Turmeric powder
- Red chilli powder or paprika
- Salt
- Oil spray
The total flour used is ¾ cup. First use some of the dry flour mixture to coat the shaped potato vadas. Then add ¾ cup water to the remaining flour mixture to make the batter.
For serving
- Pav or soft bread rolls
- Dry garlic chutney
- Green chutney, optional
- Green chillies, optional
How to make vada pav in air fryer
1. Make the tempering
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger and green chilli.
2. Add the spices
Add turmeric, chilli powder or paprika and salt. Mix briefly over low heat.
3. Add the potatoes
Add the boiled potato pieces and mix them well with the tempering.
4. Mash the potatoes
Roughly mash the potatoes and mix until evenly seasoned. Allow the mixture to cool.
5. Prepare the flour mixture
Mix besan(gram flour) and red lentil flour with the spices and salt. Shape the cooled potato mixture into balls and roll each one lightly in this dry flour mixture.
6. Make the batter and coat the vada
Add ¾ cup water to the remaining flour mixture and whisk into a smooth batter. Dip each flour-coated potato ball into the batter.
7. Air fry the vada
Preheat the air fryer to 180°C (355°F). Arrange the coated vadas in a single layer and air fry for about 10 minutes.
Spray the vadas lightly with oil and continue cooking at 180°C for another 4-5 minutes, until the coating is cooked and lightly golden.
The total air fryer vada pav time is around 14-15 minutes at 180°C.
Optional - you can also add the chillies and cook them in the airfyer along with vada.Just spray them with little oil.
How to assemble vada pav
Slice the pav through the centre without cutting it completely apart. Spread dry garlic chutney inside and add green chutney if using.
Place one hot air-fried vada inside each pav. Serve immediately with extra chutney and roasted or air-fried green chillies.
Tips for making air fryer vada
- Cool the potato mixture before shaping the vadas.
- Roll in dry flour first so the wet batter coats the potato balls more easily.
- Do not make the batter too thin. It should stay around the vada rather than immediately running off.
- Leave space between the vadas so the hot air can circulate.
- Spray with oil after the first 10 minutes once the coating has started to set.
Vada pav vs batata vada
The vada inside vada pav is a potato fritter similar to batata vada. For this recipe, I cook the boiled potatoes with mustard seeds, curry leaves and spices before mashing and shaping them.
My simpler batata vada or aloo bonda recipe uses boiled potatoes mixed directly with the seasonings. That version works well when you want to serve the fritters on their own rather than inside pav.
Related recipes
Air Fryer Vada Pav
Equipment
- Air fryer
- Saucepan or frying pan
- Mixing bowl
- potato masher
Ingredients
For potato filling
- 4 medium potatoes boiled
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 8 -10 curry leaves
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 -2 green chillies finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika
- Salt as per taste
For flour coating
- ¼ cup besan or gram flour
- ½ cup red lentil flour
- ¾ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or paprika
- Salt as per taste
- Oil spray as required
For serving
- 8 pav or soft bread rolls
- Dry garlic chutney as required
- Green chutney optional
- Green chillies optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, ginger and green chilli.
- Add turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Mix briefly.
- Add the boiled potatoes and mix well with the tempering.
- Roughly mash the potatoes. Cook for a minute or two, then allow the mixture to cool.
- Mix the besan and red lentil flour with turmeric, chilli powder and salt. Shape the cooled potato mixture into balls and lightly roll each ball in this dry flour mixture.
- Add water to the remaining flour mixture and whisk to make a smooth batter. Dip each potato ball in the batter and coat well.
- Preheat the air fryer to 180°C / 355°F. Arrange the coated vadas in a single layer and air fry for 10 minutes.
- Spray the vadas lightly with oil and air fry for another 4-5 minutes at 180°C, or until the coating is cooked and lightly golden.
- Slice each pav, spread with dry garlic chutney and green chutney if using, and place one hot vada inside. Serve with green chillies.
- Optional - you can also add the chillies and cook them in the airfyer along with vada.Just spray them with little oil.
Video
Notes
Use part of the ¾ cup flour mixture to dust the potato balls before adding water to the remaining flour.
Keep the batter thick enough to coat the vadas without running off quickly.
Cooking time can vary slightly between air fryer models.
The 14-15 minute timing is for freshly prepared vadas, not frozen ones.
A perforated air-fryer-safe liner can help catch batter drips.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. These potato vadas cook at 180°C (355°F) for around 14-15 minutes. Air fry them for about 10 minutes first, then spray lightly with oil and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the coating is cooked and lightly golden.
The vadas take around 14-15 minutes at 180°C in my air fryer. The exact time can vary slightly depending on the air fryer model and the thickness of the batter coating.
Yes. I make this recipe in a Ninja air fryer. You can use another basket-style air fryer as well, although the cooking time may vary slightly.
Air fryer vada pav uses much less frying oil than traditional deep-fried vada pav. The overall nutrition still depends on the size of the vada, the pav, chutneys and serving size.
The 14-15 minute cooking time in this recipe is tested with freshly prepared vadas. Frozen vadas will need a different cooking time, so adjust the time and cook until heated through and the coating is crisp.
Rolling the shaped potato vada in the dry besan and red lentil flour mixture helps the wet batter stick more evenly. After dusting the vadas, add the water to the remaining flour mixture to make the batter.
Conclusion: Vada pav in air fryer is a fit foodie's ultimate food fantasy.YUMMY!
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