Bateta Vada Recipe (batter coated potato balls)

Bateta vadas are a classic Indian dish which can be served as a starter or as a quick snack. In Mumbai, they are served as Vada pav where Batata vadas are served with chilly sauce or chutney in a roll.  In most  Gujarati homes, they are served as a tea time snack except when they are cooking for an occassion and then they become part of a thali item!!

Ingredients for about 20 Bateta vadas:

8 - 9  medium sized potatoes
1 medium onion chopped finely
2 cups chick pea flour (besan)
2 green chillies – crushed finely
1 teaspoon of grated ginger and garlic
1 teaspoon salt (or as per your taste)
2 teaspoons sugar or sugar substitute
1 tablespoon lemon juice
small bunch of coriander chopped finely
2 teaspoons of a  ground mixture of cinnamon and cloves
1 litre oil for deep frying

For the batter:

A pinch of soda-bi carbonate
A pich of salt
A pinch of turmeric

Method

1.   Boil the potatoes with their skins on until soft.

2.   Peel and mash the potatoes and allow them to cool slightly. I used locally grown new potatoes which had this lovely pale yellow colour.

3.  Add in the crushed green chillies and grated ginger and garlic.

4.  Add in the finely chopped onions, the salt, sugar, lemon juice,  ground cinnamon and cloves mixture coriander leaves.

5.  Mix all the ingredients well and taste the mixture.  It should be nice and spicy as well as slightly sweet with a hint of lemon.

6.  Divide the mixture into 20 Golf ball sized balls.

For the batter:

7.  Add the salt and pinch of turmeric to the chick pea flour.

8.  Add a cup and a half of lukewarm water to the flour and mix to make the batter.

9.  Let the batter remain thick.  Test it with a fork and if it coats the fork, it's the right thickness.

Now make the bateta vada:

10.   Heat the oil.

11.   Add the soda bi carbonate to the batter and mix it well. Dip each potato ball in the batter and deep fry until the bateta vadas are golden brown in colour.

12.    Serve hot with chutney or ketchup.  As I mentioned  before, you can also eat them like a veggie burger between a soft roll if you like.

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