Batata Vada Recipe (Aloo Vada)

Batata Vada is a popular Indian deep-fried snack with crispy outer covering & spiced mashed potato filling in centre. It is vegan, gluten free and can be enjoyed with chutney or any dip of choice.

This delicious street food is from Maharashtra state of India. In Marathi (local language), the word batata means ‘potatoes’ and vada means ‘fritters’. Though these piping hot batate vada are traditionally served with fresh cilantro chutney or chilli garlic chutney but if you are short of time, you can serve them with ketchup also.

The same vada is also used as patty, stuffed in soft-pillowy buns (dinner rolls) to make ‘batata vada pav’ (Indian style sliders). It also known by other names like batata bhaji, potato vada, aloo vada or aloo bonda and is typically made by deep frying. However, for lighter version you can cook them in appe pan or air fryer.

They are a great option as evening snack to enjoy with masala tea or for weekend breakfast / brunch. For serving in party or get togethers, you can make bite-size mini batata vada and serve as finger food. The aloo vada recipe shared here is:

I personally find food to be the simplest kind of time-travel machine, having the power through its flavour & aroma to take you back to certain moments or cherished memories in life. I learnt this batata vada recipe from my mother and till date whenever I make them, its taste instantly reminds me of the childhood days. My mother used to make these vada on weekends as brunch and me, my brother, relished them while watching our favourite tv cartoon shows.

The aloo vada recipe is quite simple and requires few simple ingredients like –

Potatoes: We need to first boil the potatoes and then mash them to make the stuffing. They can be boiled in pressure cooker or instant pot. To save time, you can boil them in advance a day before and store in fridge to make vada later.

Gram Flour: Also known as besan, it is a pale yellow coloured gluten-free flour made with chana dal (split bengal gram). The batter for vada is made with gram flour (or chickpea flour) & few spices. Some rice flour is also added to make the outer covering of the vada more crispy but it is totally optional.

The consistency of the batter is important as it should neither be too thick nor too thin. To test the consistency, dip a spoon in the batter and then lift it gently. The batter should lightly coat the spoon while falling in ribbons. If the coating is too thick, you need to add more water and if too thin add more besan to adjust the consistency.

Spices & Aromatics: Fresh ginger, garlic, coriander (cilantro), green chillies, red chilli, turmeric, rai (mustard seeds) etc all these enhance the taste and flavour. Herbs like coriander (cilantro), curry leaves and lemon juice add freshness and zest to the potato filling.

These batate vada recipe has no onion but to make it completely no onion-no garlic (Jain), skip adding garlic also.

Oil: You can use any cooking oil to deep fry (or air fry) like mustard oil, peanut oil or sesame oil.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• Gram flour / Besan – 1 cup
• Rice flour / Cornstarch – 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red Chilli Powder –  1/2 tsp
• Water – 1/3 to 1/2 cup (as required)
• Salt – 1/2 tsp (to taste)
• Baking Soda – A pinch (optional)
• Cooking Oil – For deep frying
• For stuffing:
  • Potatoes (boiled) – 3 medium
  • Green chillies – 1 to 2 (finely chopped)
  • Ginger (grated) – 1 inch piece
  • Garlic (minced) – 3 to 4 cloves
  • Curry Leaves (chopped) – 5 to 6
  • Cooking Oil – 2 tsp
  • Mustard Seeds (Rai)- 1/4 tsp
  • Cumin Seeds (Jeera) – 1/4 tsp
  • Asafoetida (Heeng) – A pinch
  • Red Chilli powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Salt – 1/2 tsp (to taste)
  • Cilantro or Coriander – 2 tbsp (chopped)
  • Lemon Juice – 1/2 tsp

How to make Batata Vada?

Step 1:
Add gram flour (besan), rice flour, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, baking soda to a bowl. Start adding water gradually to it while mixing continuously with a fork or whisker to make a smooth lump free batter. It should neither be too thin or thick. Keep it aside.

Step 2:
Peel the boiled potatoes and then mash them with a masher or a fork (Please note they should not be hot otherwise the steam release will turn them gluey & sticky). Keep these mashed potatoes aside.

Step 3:
Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add cumin (jeera), mustard seeds (rai) & asafoetida (hing) to it. Saute for 10-15 seconds till seeds begin to crackle.

Step 4:
Turn the heat to medium-low. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves to the pan. Cook for 30-40 seconds while stirring.

Step 5:
Add mashed potatoes to these sautéed aromatics along with salt, red chilli powder & turmeric. Mix well with a spatula or spoon. Taste and adjust spices as per your liking.

Step 6:
Turn off the flame. Add lemon juice and chopped coriander to the potato mixture and mix once again. Transfer it to a bowl and let cool till warm enough to touch.

Step 7:
Divide the potato filling in 12 to 14 portions and roll into smooth balls.

Step 8:
Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadhai. Once hot, dip a potato ball in the batter to coat from all sides. Lift it with a fork to drip excess batter & then carefully lower in hot oil. Repeat this with other potato balls.

Step 9:
Fry batata wada on medium hot oil while flipping them in between. Fry till they are crispy golden from all sides.

Step 10:
Remove the vada from oil using a slotted spoon and transfer over a kitchen tissue or wire rack. Serve them hot with green chutney, ketchup or tamarind chutney.

To make fried green chillies: Wash & pat dry the chillies completely with a kitchen towel. Make a slit on each on them without cutting all the way through (This prevents them from bursting in hot oil).

Once you have fried all vadas, add these chillies to the same hot oil. Fry till their skin turns lighter in colour & becomes slightly crispy too. Remove them from oil and transfer on a plate. Sprinkle salt all over them and mix gently.

Tips:

1. To check whether the oil is ready for frying, drop a small portion of gram flour batter in it. If it rises up in 1-2 seconds, the oil is ready.
2. Always fry the vada on medium hot temp. If the temp is too high, the outer covering will quickly become dark without cooking all the way through.
3. To cut short the cooking time, boil the potatoes in advance.
4. Though these vadas taste best when served fresh & hot but if you have any leftovers, store in fridge in an airtight container & reheat in air fryer at 180°C for 4-5 minutes.

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(P.S: This recipe was originally published on 31st May’2015 & has been updated with better recipe & images.)

If you try this batata vada recipe & share pics on social media, then don’t forget to tag on Facebook, Instagram or use #kuchpakrahahai.

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