Batata Vada’s (Potato Dumplings)

these potato balls are so irresistable

make and freeze – perfect for anytime

Batata vada is a popular vegetarian street food dish from India, The dish consists of a mashed potato patty coated with chick pea flour, which is then deep-fried and served hot with chutney.

This is a very basic recipe on how to make Batata Vada’s (potato dumplings). Each region may have different names and variations for this dish but I’ve always called these Batata Vada’s.

You can adjust this recipe in many ways but this is the basic recipe I follow and it’s perfect for beginners. Once you’ve mastered the recipe and are happy with the taste, try adding some finely cut onions for a twist and experiment with other flavors.

This recipe is so handy you can use this to make large batches and store in the freezer for when you next need them. Very handy for taking to picnics, outdoor field trips, Ramadhan, Parties, students, bachelors and many more first time cook’s. Made with simple ingredients from your pantry and assembled within minutes. Double the recipe up if you need to make larger quantities.

Enjoy and do tag me if you tried this ?

Ingredients for Potato Filling

• 6 – 7 medium sized potatoes (boiled & mashed)
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee for tempering
• 1.5 tsp brown mustard seeds
• 1 tsp asafetida powder (hing)
• 3 tsp ginger / garlic paste
• 2 tsp green chilies (finely cut)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2.5 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
• 8 tbsp lemon juice ( you can also use amchur powder as a substitute)
• freshly cut Coriander leaves (optional)

Ingredients for Batter Mix

• 1 cup Chickpea Flour (besan)
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) or 1/4 tsp red chili powder
• 1/4 tsp asafetida (hing)
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• Add water enough to form a thick batter consistency
• 2 tbsp hot oil

How to make this

• You will need approx. 6 – 7 medium sized potatoes, cooked and mashed.
• Set this aside in a mixing bowl.

• Now in a tempering pan, heat the oil and ghee.
• Add the mustard seeds and Asafetida and cook until the seeds start splattering.
• Add the ginger / garlic paste and finely cut green chillies and mix well.
• Now add the turmeric and cook for a bit, cook it a bit to remove its smell
• Switch the gas off and transfer the mixture to the potato mixture.
• Now add the Salt, Lemon juice and freshly cut coriander leaves
• Mix well with a spoon as the mixture will be hot.
• Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice according to taste.

• Make and shape into small balls, I use a measuring spoon so all balls are similar sizes.
• Make the Batter as instructed (see video below)
• Heat a wok or deep pan and add the oil
• Once the oil is heated, carefully add the potato balls to the batter mixture and add to the pan. stir after the batter has set.
• Let the potatoes set for a while then gently stir making sure the potato balls round shape is still intact.
• Cook until the balls are slightly brown then remove from the heat.

TIP : If serving at parties, make the balls in advance, coat in batter, fry 15-mins prior to serving. Keep in a warm oven so they are hot when served.

❗❗A few tips of making this:❗❗

• You can add more lemon juice if you want the vada’s to be a bit more tangy. However as the lemon juice is a liquid form it can make the potato mixture more slippery to handle. I would advise to use Citric Acid (lemon salt) instead as a substitute to juice juice.

• Leave the potato mixture in the fridge to stiften which will make shaping the vada’s easier.

• Double-up the recipe to make larger batches, freeze and store

Tips for frying large batches – Make the Batata Vada recipe as instructed above 30 minutes – 1 hour before your required time. Pop the batch into the oven on low temperature so these warm up nicely ready to be served.

Freezer Method – Make the batter fresh and coat the vada’s as normal from frozen so the balls don’t loose their shape. Once fried, pop them in the microwave for 1 minute so there heated from inside.

• You can use the same potato mixture and stuff these inside pepper chilies – I will post this soon so watch this space for my stuffed potato chilli recipe – so yummy!

Watch the video below and leave a comment. Tag @Pinch0fSugar with your pictures.

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