Batata(Potato) Vada

Though high in calories, fried food is no doubt the best-tasting snack ever, and the recipe I describe below is our favourite one. Batata Vada is considered to be staple food for people in Bombay(Mumbai) and you are sure to see vendors selling them in trains, buses or roads. An ideal snack for people-on-the-go, it tastes as good as it looks appetizing. Anything to do with potatoes can seldom go wrong, and this by far is a winning concoction!! try it and let me know how you like it.

Ingredients:
Potatoes-3 large ones
Besan (gram flour) about 1 cup (for batter)
Onions 1/4 cup-chopped
1/2 clove
Spices: Asafoetida(hing) a pinch, Turmeric a pinch, Ginger-garlic paste 1 tspn, lemon juice to taste, garam masala powder 1 tspn, dhana-jeeru powder 1.5 tsp, sugar(optional) 1 tsp, Green chillies 2, Red chilli powder 1/2 tspn, Mustard seeds 1/4th tspn, Jeera (cumin) seeds 1/4th tspn, Coriander leaves, Curry leaves 4-5
Oil for frying
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the potatoes, peel them and mash with hand. Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, dhana-jeeru powder, ginger-garlic paste, sugar, and lemon juice and mix well.

Heat some oil and add mustard and cumin seeds. When they start spluttering, add asafoetida, green chillies and curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and cook till golden. Now add the mashed potatoes, finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Remove from flame and set aside.

In a bowl mix besan, chilli powder, a little salt, and a pinch of asfoetida with sufficient water to make a thick paste that can coat the potato mixture. Heat oil in a kadai. Take a ball of potato mixture, dip it in the besan paste so that there is a thick layer of besan paste on potato ball and deep fry in oil. Fry till it gets a slight brown color.

Serve the Batata Vadas with hot with green chutney and date-tamarind chutney or simply with ketchup!