Air Fryer Vada Pav
Air fryer vada pav is a no-deep-fry version of the popular Mumbai snack. Spiced potato vadas are coated in a besan and red lentil flour batter, air fried until lightly crisp, then served inside soft pav with chutney and green chilli.
Servings: 8
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
Total air fryer cooking time is about 14–15 minutes at 180°C.
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.
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.