At a speed that is rarely expected from a street-side fast-food vendor, he dropped a batch of perfectly shaped spherical ‘batata vada’ into the hot cooking oil which had been sizzling for quite some time. Vada are potato patties made out of mashed potatoes mixed with finely chopped onion, green chillies, coriander, and spices that are dipped in chickpea batter just before frying.
After tossing and turning the Vada five-six times, they were ready. He picked up a square-shaped bread, called ‘Pav’ and sliced it open with a doctor-like precision and finesse. He slathered it with a green chutney (made out of chilli and coriander) and a garlic chutney and placed the Vada in between the two layers of Pav. He wrapped it in a square paper cutout made with an old newspaper and handed it over to me along with 2 fried green chillies in exchange for 20 bucks. The moment I bit into the “Vada Pav”, as it is popularly called in Mumbai, its taste etched a gastronomical memory in my mind that I will never forget. It was, in simple words, just delicious.
The credit for inventing the rustic and mouth-watering Vada Pav goes to Ashok Vaidya. In the 1960s, Balasaheb Thackeray appealed to Maharashtrians to become entrepreneurs the way South Indians had by setting up Udupi restaurants. This inspired Vaidya to set up a stall outside Dadar Station (1966) through which hundreds and thousands of workers passed every day on their way to the textile mills in suburban areas such as Parel and Worli. He began selling Vada and Poha alongside a stall that sold Omelet Pav. Once, he experimented and placed a Vada between Pav along with some chutney to add more flavor. The result of the experiment-Vada Pav-became an instant hit in no time.
The 1970s and 80s were tumultuous times with numerous strikes that eventually led to the closing of many textile mills. Resultantly, many former mill workers opened Vada Pav stalls of their own with the encouragement of Shiv Sena. Very soon, Vada Pav witnessed a dramatic rise. It began to be recognized as a go-to snack for the working class. It was easy to make, cheap, and convenient to eat. These factors led to a boom in its popularity among those who had no time or luxury to eat amidst their long commuting hours in overcrowded local trains. Also, even the Late Balasaheb Thackarey was an ardent fan of Vaidya’s Vada Pav and was a regular customer. Their relationship soon developed into friendship and as per legends, Thackerey told the BMC officials not to bother Vaidya in any case!
The 1990s saw the arrival of the American fast-food chain McDonald's in India and expanding rapidly. However, it could not take over Maharashtra’s obsession with the Vada Pav. This was mainly because of the reason that Mcdonald's burgers are made according to a standard recipe and by using various equipment. This mechanization results in all the burgers tasting the same. However, this is not the case with Vada Pav. Almost all the sellers boast of a secret recipe and ingredient that make their Vada Pav different. In a country like India, having a multitude of cultures, this is what Indians want. We want different tastes to serve to the demands of our diverse taste buds, and McDonald's failed to cater to this at that time.
In the year 2000, Mumbai-based entrepreneur Dheeraj Gupta, foreseeing an economic opportunity opened a Vada Pav chain, ‘JumboKing’. He advertised it as the “Indian Burger” which eventually led to JumboKing opening 75 outlets in Mumbai alone, with each selling more than 500 Vada Pav every day. Today, a range of different Vada Pav chains have opened all over India, but according to Mumbaikars’, they can’t match the rusticity and homeliness of their very own roadside snack. In the year 2015, director Aalambayan Siddharth made a 5-minute documentary movie ‘Vada Pav Inc.’, which put light on Ashok Vaidya and his journey as the creator of the Vada Pav. Also, August 23 is observed as World Vada Pav Day, to celebrate what is considered Maharashtra’s biggest gift to foodies.
On July 6, 1998, Ashok Vaidya passed away at the age of 58. His invention, Vada Pav, brought all of Maharashtra together and blurred any lines of divide. From film stars to cricketers to industrialists to daily wage laborers, all are fans of Vada Pav and many more are yet to come who will be left spellbound the moment they taste it.
Vaidya’s legacy, his demeanor, and his simplicity live in the form of his son, Narendra. He aspired to be a fashion designer and had a degree of Bachelors in Commerce. As his elder brother was pursuing an MBA when Vaidya passed away, Narendra took over the business which was supposed to be only for a short time. However, today, even after 22 years of passing away of senior Vaidya, Narendra continues to stand outside platform number 1 on the western line of Dadar station, selling Vada Pav with the same simplicity and demeanor that his father used to on the same stand all those years ago.
