I had just completed a project which had taken me out of the country for a month and I was landing in Bombay close to midnight. I got into the taxi with my luggage and after telling the taxi driver in which direction to head, I told him that he will have to first stop at any Vada pav stall that would be open on the way. He turned and looked at me and gave me a smile and without any questions, he took me to one. I packed two hot ones and relished it in the back seat. I felt happy and content. 

Each one of us has that one special go-to food, something that can instantly cheer you up. For me, it is Vada pav. The taste, the smell, the memories attached to it, makes it on top of my favourite food list.

I have lived in Maharashtra for the most part of my life and so vada pav has been one of my favourite things to eat. Growing up my mom didn’t encourage us to eat it, as she didn’t consider it healthy. So, we were allowed to have it only occasionally.

But luckily when we were in college, the surveillance on what we ate reduced and it became a staple diet. Those were the days when we believed that having one vada pav a day filled your heart with inexplicable joy, especially when it was Anna ka vada pav. Yes, I know that there is irony in that name.

For non-Maharashtrians, I will explain. Vada is a quintessential popular snack from Maharashtra. It is made of humble pav or bread with a deep-fried patty of mashed potatoes with the masala. The pav is split into two, a layer of garlic chutney is put in between, the patty on top of it and then you take a bite of it and take a bite of the fried salted green chilly they serve with it. Then voila there is a blast of flavours in your mouth all at once.

The soft pav balances the spicy chutney and Vada. the potato filling satiates the savoury need of the tongue and the occasional bite of fried chilly just adds a blast to all the flavours. It’s best eaten when it’s piping hot. It will fill your tummy and your heart. There is a deep sense of satisfaction that you feel once you eat it.

The best part is that it is vegan. Even PETA India has certified it to be the best vegan snack in Bombay.

So, coming back to Anna ka vada pav. It’s an irony because this one has a south Indian touch. It is made in the authentic Maharashtrian style but his chutney was made in south Indian style and trust me the combination was deadly. All my friends who have eaten it will vouch for it.

Whenever I am away from Bombay for a long time, I start craving for it. This one time I was doing a project in Chennai. After two months my craving for Vada pav was so strong that I asked every local person if they knew where I could find an authentic one, well most of them didn’t know what it was. Some people told me that I should just have a burger instead, I gave them a look which I think they will never forget for the rest of their lives. It was blasphemy. How can I replace Vada pav with a burger? Vada pav is an emotion and burger is just a burger. Well, they didn’t understand.

Finally, after a lot of research, I found one place which claimed to serve authentic Vada pav. The place was far away from where I stayed but that didn’t stop me. So, I went all the way with lots of excitement. But the Vada pav didn’t meet my standards, I still had it smilingly. My friend who had accompanied me couldn’t understand what the big deal was. I didn’t care. I still had the Vada pav look-alike and felt kind of happy for that moment.

If you are what you eat, then I am definitely vada pav 😊

Click here to read more food writing pieces.