If you have ever walked the streets of Mumbai, you have seen it: a crowd around a small stall, a giant pan of hot oil, and people eating something round and golden out of a paper wrapper. That is vada pav, and for millions of people in Maharashtra it is breakfast, lunch and the snack in between.
What is vada pav?
Vada pav has two parts. The vada is a ball of mashed potato spiced with garlic, green chilli, ginger, mustard seeds and curry leaves, dipped in a gram flour (chickpea flour) batter and fried until crisp. The pav is a soft, square bread roll. The vada goes inside the pav with a spicy dry garlic chutney and a fresh green chutney, often with a fried green chilli on the side.
It is filling, cheap and quick, which is exactly why it became the food of Mumbai’s busy workers. People often call it the Indian burger, but the flavour is all its own: soft bread, crunchy coating, spicy potato and sharp chutney in every bite.
Ways to enjoy vada pav at Namaste Cafe
- Vada Pav (2 pieces), $10.99 – the classic, with garlic and green chutneys.
- Cheese Vada Pav, $11.99 – loaded with melted cheese.
- Schezwan Vada Pav, $10.99 – with a fiery Indo-Chinese Schezwan chutney.
Pair it with a cup of masala chai ($2.49), the way it is eaten across Maharashtra.
Other Mumbai street food to try
If you like vada pav, try pav bhaji (buttery mashed vegetable curry with toasted pav) and dabeli, the Kutchi cousin of vada pav with sweet-spicy potato, masala peanuts and pomegranate. See the full list on our menu.
Where to get vada pav in Methuen, MA
Namaste Cafe is a 100% vegetarian Indian café at 436 Broadway, Unit B1, Methuen, MA 01844, in the same building as Namaste Bazaar. We are open every day from 9 AM to 9 PM. Order delivery on Uber Eats, Grubhub or DoorDash, or call +1 781-421-5107 for pickup.