Batata Vada or Fried Potato Dumpling is a simple and easy to make, spicy and delicious Indian snack prepared using potatoes and aromatic spices in less than 30 minutes. This potato recipe is gluten free and vegan. Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, snacks Cuisine: Gujarathi, Indian, Maharashtra, north Indian, South India
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Chickpea flour or Besan
- 1/2 tsp Red chile powder
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- Asafetida or Hing, Pinch
- Salt, to taste
- 2 to 3 tbsp Rice flour (optional)
For the potato filling or potato stuffing
- 2 Medium potatoes
- 2 Green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Ginger, grated
- 2 to 3 tbsp Coriander leaves or Cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt, to taste
For the tempering
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Urad Dal
- 3 Garlic cloves, finely chopped (optional)
- Asafetida or Hing, a pinch
- Turmeric powder, a pinch
- 1 sprig Curry leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp Vegetable oil or Coconut oil or Cooking oil
Other ingredient
- Oil for frying
Instructions
STEP I (Prepare the filling or Stuffing)
- Peel the skin of potatoes, cut them into cubes and wash them.
- Cook the potatoes in any way desired but make sure they are just firm and not mushy. I have just sprinkled water, covered with lid and microwaved the potatoes for 5 minutes.
- Alternatively, you can cook potato cubes in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes or pressure cook it for 2 whistles or cook even in steamer or pot.
- In a small pan, heat oil on medium to low flame. Add mustard seeds, and when they start to splutter add urad dal, garlic cloves (skip if you are preparing on vrat days) and hing and sauté till the raw smell of garlic goes off (about 1 minute) and urad dal becomes light in color..
- Next add turmeric powder, curry leaves and sauté for another few seconds. switch off the flame.
- Mash the cooked potatoes. To this add green chilies, ginger, coriander leaves, salt and sautéed ingredients prepared above and mix well.
- Divide this into 9 or 10 portions or to desired size bonda or vada and make balls out of it.
STEP II(Prepare the batter)
- In a bowl, add chickpea flour, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt, and mix.
- To this add water little by little and whisk to form a batter that is thinner than pancake batter. See that there are no lumps and batter is not too thick or too thin.
- The amount of water I added was approximately 1/3 cup but not more than 1/2 cup. This also varies based on brand of flour, weather conditions and water.
- Your vadas should be coated easily in this batter. If the batter is too thick then add water, and if it becomes too watery then add chickpea flour and adjust accordingly.
STEP III( Frying vadas or bondas or fritters)
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan for frying.
- Once the oil is hot, dip each potato ball in the batter and drop it in oil. Add 4 to 5 balls depending on the size of your pan. Deep fry them till they are golden brown in color.
- Transfer this to paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Repeat the process for remaining potato balls.
- Batata Vadas or Aloo Bonda are now ready. Serve hot and enjoy.
Recipe Notes
- To check if the oil is hot, drop few drops of batter and check if it sizzles and comes up.
- Vary the spiciness as per your taste.
- If the oil is cold, vadas will absorb excess oil and If it is too hot, vadas will turn brown. Best practice is to fry between medium and medium high flame.
- Do not boil potatoes more than needed. It should be firm and not mushy.
- Adding rice flour is optional. I have tried adding as well skipping it. Adding it makes your outer cover more crispier.
- Consistency of batter place very important role in making perfect vadas. If batter is thick, vadas will become hard and If batter is thin, then stuffing will come out and its going to be messy.
- If you do not like pieces of green chilies and ginger you can also make paste out of it and add it to the recipe.
- Some people add pinch of baking soda to batter to make it fluffier. I generally skip adding it and find no difference.
