Batata Vada is one of the most popular Mumbai street food dishes; it’s cheap, delicious, and satisfying. In Mumbai, you’ll find a vendor on every other street corner selling Batata Vada. It is typically served inside a bread roll (Pav) with chutney. Some vendors serve it with Spicy Garlic Chutney and others serve it with Tamarind Chutney or Green Chutney. Growing up in Mumbai, during my long evening walks with my childhood buddy, we always made a pit stop at the local Vada Pav stall for this delicious snack.
Batata Vada was also a common feature among the snacks served at a tea party. A spicy Batata Vada with a sweet Masala Chai is the perfect combination to tantalize your taste buds. This recipe has many steps, but is relatively easy to make (assuming you are comfortable with frying foods).
Ingredients
For the Batter:
1 cup Gram flour (Besan)
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
Pinch Asafetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp Salt
For the Potatoes:
5 medium Potatoes
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 stem Curry Leaves (optional)
2 Green Chillies, finely chopped (to taste)
2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
Pinch Asafetida (Hing)
1/2 tsp Salt (to taste)
Canola, Vegetable or Peanut Oil or other high smoke point oil for deep frying
Preparation
Peel and cube the potatoes and boil them until they can be easily pierced with a fork (about 5-7 minutes). Or just boil the potatoes first, and then peel them and break them up, whichever way you prefer. I prefer the first option because the potatoes boil faster.
Add the ingredients for the batter into a bowl, gradually add water and whisk until smooth. Be sure to break up all the lumps. The batter should have a thick coating consistency.
Cooking Fried Potato Dumplings
1. Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan on medium heat, and add the Mustard Seeds. When the Mustard Seeds start to crackle, add the Curry Leaves and Asafetida. As soon as the curry leaves start to shrivel, add the Ginger-garlic paste and mix in. Let it fry for about 30 seconds, and then add the finely chopped Green Chillies (if using) and cook them for about 30 seconds.
2. Add the boiled potatoes, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Lemon Juice, and Salt. Mix well and mash the potatoes using a spatula – add a little water if needed.
3. Cover and cook on medium for about 3-4 minutes, mixing well at least a couple times. Turn off the heat and let the potatoes cool.
4. Once the potatoes have cooled, divide into portions to make golf ball-sized dumplings.
5. Dunk a batch of the dumplings into the Gram Flour batter, and make sure they are fully coated.
6. Heat oil for deep frying. Fry a small batch of dumplings in the oil. Don’t overload the fryer with dumplings, because the oil will get cold and the dumplings are going to soak up a lot of oil. TIP: It’s important to maintain a frying temperature of around 350 F for best results. When you finish one batch and are ready to fry the next, be sure to wait for the oil to reheat back to the frying temperature.
7. When the dumplings turn golden brown, remove them from the fryer and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Delicious Batata Vada is ready. Serve them hot with Green Chutney and Tamarind Chutney, accompanied with a cup of hot Masala Chai.
Curry on!
- For the Batter:
- 1 cup Gram flour (Besan)
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
- Pinch Asafetida (Hing)
- ½ tsp Salt
- For the Potatoes:
- 5 medium Potatoes
- ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 stem Curry Leaves (optional)
- 2 Green Chillies, finely chopped (to taste)
- 2 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Pinch Asafetida (Hing)
- ½ tsp Salt (to taste)
- Canola, Vegetable or Peanut Oil or other high smoke point oil for deep frying
- Preparation: Peel and cube the potatoes and boil them until they can be easily pierced with a fork (about 5-7 minutes). Add the ingredients for the batter into a bowl, gradually add water and whisk until smooth. Be sure to break up all the lumps. The batter should have a thick coating consistency.
- Heat oil in a thick-bottomed pan on medium heat, and add the Mustard Seeds. When the Mustard Seeds start to crackle, add the Curry Leaves and Asafetida. As soon as the curry leaves start to shrivel, add the Ginger-garlic paste and mix in. Let it fry for about 30 seconds, and then add the finely chopped Green Chillies (if using) and cook them for about 30 seconds.
- Add the boiled potatoes, Turmeric Powder, Red Chili Powder, Lemon Juice, and Salt. Mix well and mash the potatoes using a spatula – add a little water if needed.
- Cover and cook on medium for about 3-4 minutes, mixing well at least a couple times. Turn off the heat and let the potatoes cool.
- Once the potatoes have cooled, divide into portions to make golf ball-sized dumplings.
- Dunk a batch of the dumplings into the Gram Flour batter, and make sure they are fully coated.
- Heat oil for deep frying. Fry a small batch of dumplings in the oil. Don’t overload the fryer with dumplings, because the oil will get cold and the dumplings are going to soak up a lot of oil. TIP: It’s important to maintain a frying temperature of around 350 F for best results. When you finish one batch and are ready to fry the next, be sure to wait for the oil to reheat back to the frying temperature.
- When the dumplings turn golden brown, remove them from the fryer and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Related Recipes
Green Chutney
Tamarind Chutney
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Strainer Mesh Ladle
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