Batata Vada is a popular Indian fast food and literally means ‘potato fritters’. The term ‘batata’ is a Portuguese word for ‘potato’, which is not surprising as they were the ones who introduce potatoes to India.
These little fried dumplings are really easy to make and are definitely a fast and easy snack to make anytime of the day. They go great with green chutney and are usually sandwiched in a pav to make Vada Pav.
Tips to making the perfect Batata Vada:
· Try not to over-boil the potatoes. They should be firm and crumbly and NOT mushy.
· Consistency is vital when it comes to the batter. The mixture, which generally combines gram (besan) flour with rice or corn flour and other elements should not be too thick or too thin. If the batter is too thick, the vada will become hard and if the batter is too thin, the potato mixture will seep out during frying and the vada will fall apart.
· I have used rice flour in the batter to give it a crispy texture, but you can always substitute it with corn flour if you don’t have rice flour on hand.
· When it comes to using Bicarbonate of Soda (Baking Soda), you can always leave it out. But if you want the batter to be light and fluffy, I find a tiny pinch goes a long way.
Find the link to the demo video for this recipe here: @batatavadas
Find the links to the Coriander & Mint Chutney recipe here:
Detailed Recipe Link - @greenchutney
Demo Video Link - @greenchutney
Find the links to the Batata Vada Chaat recipe here:
Detailed Recipe Link - @batatavadachaat
Demo Video Link - @batatavadachaat
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Ingredients:
Main:
Potato filling
Batter
Oil for frying
For the Potato Filling:
5 small potatoes
1 tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp cumin seeds
A few curry leaves, chopped
½ tsp ginger & garlic paste
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 green chillies, chopped finely
juice of ½ a lime
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
For the Batter:
2 cups gram flour
¼ cup rice flour
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp chaat masala
¼ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp flaxseeds
A pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
Boil the potatoes until they’re just done… firm and not mushy. In a pressure cooker, add enough water to almost cover the potatoes, then pressure cook on high heat for 1 whistle and on medium heat for 2 whistles. Remember, this timing may vary depending on the pressure cooker. You can also boil them in a pot of water or by using a steamer.
When done, mash them up and leave aside to cool down.
Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the oil and add the chilli flakes, cumin and curry leaves. Sauté for a bit.
Add the ginger & garlic paste and green chillies and mix for about a minute.
Once the potatoes have cooled down, add salt, the sautéed mix and combine well. Then add the coriander and lime juice and mix again. Check salt and spice levels and add if you need to. Remember, it’s best to add less at the beginning and more later, because you can always add but you can never remove! Make the potato balls and leave aside.
To make the batter, place all the ingredients listed under ‘For the batter’ in a bowl and then keep adding enough water until the batter reaches the perfect consistency. Remember, not too thick, not too thin. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before using.
Heat oil for deep-frying. Regulate the heat to a medium flame. When the oil is hot enough dip each potato ball in the batter, coat it well and then drop it in the oil. You can use your fingers or a spoon to do this. Fry 3-5 balls at a time, depending on the size of the batata vada and your frying pan.
Gently stir and fry until golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Ideally, you should serve the batata vada with green chutney. You can also sandwich them between pav and enjoy it as a vada pav and relish them along with green chutney, dry garlic chutney and fried green chillies.
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