Standing outside the hustle and bustle of the humble Dadar station, you would not realize that you are standing at the exact location where one of Mumbai’s most iconic street foods was invented. Served in a locally made, soft Laadi Pav, topped with spicy green chutney, a tangy orange chutney, and a rich garlic masala, locally known as Ghati Masala, what you’ll taste is not just a street food item, but an inextricable piece of the history and food culture of Mumbai.
How Vada Pav Became The King Of Mumbai Street Food
If you’ve ever lived in the financial capital of the country, you know that Vada Pav is not just a snack – it’s this city’s grab-n-go lifeline. It is a part of the famous ‘spirit of Mumbai.’ The spicy, tangy flavours are a source of comfort and energy to many a Mumbaikar.
The story of how this iconic street food came to be is just as delicious. Ashok Vaidya is widely credited as the inventor of this delicious snack. It was his brilliant idea to deep-fry mashed, spiced potatoes coated in batter and then sandwich them between chutney-slathered pav. When he first started selling vada pav in 1966, his stall was located very close to the Dadar station, which also greatly helped its popularity.
Also Read: Best Vada Pav Spots In Mumbai
The snack gained popularity at a lightning-fast pace. One of the biggest reasons for its popularity was the labour class of the city at the time. The local cotton mill workers found it to be a cheap and filling snack.
Its popularity was further spurred on by the leader of Shiv Sena, Balasaheb Thackeray. He encouraged the local Maharashtrian population to set up vada pav stalls and reclaim the streets of Mumbai. These historical and socio-political conditions led to Vada Pav becoming the crown jewel of Mumbai’s street food.
Also Read: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Too Can’t Get Enough Of This Vada Pav In Thane East!
What Makes A Vada Pav Perfect?
There are three essential things that converge to form the holy trinity of the perfect vada pav. The batata vada, the pav – not bread, but the locally made laadi pav – and the chutneys. The chutneys, again, are of three types.
A spicy green chutney, the tangy and sweet orange chutney, and the dry garlic chutney. And of course, an unmissable element of the vada pav is also the spicy fried green chillies for an extra kick. If you can stomach this level of spicy food, you can rest assured that few other food items in the world will trouble your spice tolerance.
Also Read: Dine and Dish: Is Ashok Vada Pav In Dadar Really Worth The Hype? We Found Out!
Where To Get The Best Vada Pav In Mumbai?
Following are a few of the places where the vada pav is famed to be the best in Mumbai.
1. Ashok Vada Pav, Dadar
It is known as the original vada pav of Mumbai.
Cost: INR 35 Per Vada Pav
2. Aram Vada Pav, CST
This is known for its spicy flavour and iconic location – bang opposite the Gothic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
Cost: INR 30 Per Vada Pav
3. Gajanan Vada Pav, Thane
The yellow chutney accompanying the vada pav here is very famous.
Cost: INR 25 Per Vada Pav
4. Graduate Vada Pav, Byculla
Known for its wide variety of vada pav.
Cost: INR 20 Per Vada Pav
5. Ladu Samrat, Lalbaug
Known for its cheap yet delicious interpretation of vada pav.
Cost: INR 35 Per Vada Pav
Also Read: Indulge In Mumbai’s Favorite Snack At Aram Vada Pav
FAQs
Why Is Vada Pav So Cheap?
It has cost-effective, local ingredients and involves no frills.
Is Vada Pav Healthy?
While not the healthiest, labourers consumed this snack as it was cheap and gave them instant energy.
How To Make Vada Pav Healthier?
You can choose to bake the vada instead of frying it, and you can use multigrain bread instead of the Laadi Pav.
