Vada Pav Chutney Recipe (Dry Garlic Chutney)

Do you know what makes or breaks a vada pav? The chutneys. Vada pav is a popular street food from Mumbai. It is essentially a dinner roll stuffed with a potato patty (batata vada) and topped with a dry garlic chutney. Some people also slather their pav with green chutney and sweet tamarind chutney. If the chutneys aren’t made properly, the vada pav won’t taste perfect.

Some shops selling vada pav guard their dry garlic coconut chutney recipe as if it were their most incredible wealth. And that makes perfect sense to me. It’s because of these chutneys that their vada pavs are so sought after.

I learned to make this spicy dry garlic chutney recipe from my cook in Pune. And I am sharing it because I want you all to make the best vada pav, and when someone asks you the secret, you can tell them it’s whiskaffair 🙂

About Vada Pav Chutney

Vada Pav Chutney (also known as Dry Garlic Chutney or Lasun Khobra Chutney) is a perfect accompaniment that enhances the taste of the classic Mumbai snack, Vada Pav.

It is actually a powder, not a wet chutney. This simple Maharashtrian lasun chutney is made with garlic, dry coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. It is spicy, garlicky, nutty, and smoky, with a fiery red color.

Not only vada pav, but you can sprinkle this chutney over Batata Bhaji Pav, Kanda Bhaji Pav, or Samosa Pav to enhance their flavor. It also pairs well with ghee rice, dal rice, or sambar rice.

How To Make Dry Garlic Chutney

Step 1: Add ¼ cup peeled garlic cloves to a pan and dry roast over medium-high heat until slightly browned, stirring frequently.

Step 2: Remove to a plate.

Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon raw peanuts to the pan and dry roast until lightly browned. Remove to a plate.

Step 4: Remove the pink peel from the peanuts once they are cooled, and set the peanuts aside.

Step 5: Add ½ cup of grated dry coconut to the pan and dry roast until browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Step 6: Dry-roast 1 tablespoon of white sesame seeds until golden brown, then set aside.

Step 7: Let all the roasted ingredients cool for 10 minutes.

Step 8: Add all the roasted ingredients to a blender along with 3 tablespoons of Kashmiri red chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt, and blend until a coarse powder forms.

Step 9: Dry garlic chutney is ready. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 15 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Use as desired.