By Nikita Toppo
Batata vada is a popular snack from the streets of Maharashtra which is made with mashed potatoes coated in a thick besan batter and served with a tangy chutney.
600 gm potatoes (boiled and mashed), oil for deep frying, Tempering: 5 gm mustard seeds, 2 gm curry leaves, 5 gm turmeric powder, 3 gm red chilli powder, 10 gm green chillies, 10 gm ginger, 10 gm garlic, 1 lime, 10 gm coriander leaves, salt Batter: 200 gm gram flour, water, 5 gm red chilli powder, 5 gm turmeric, 3 gm cumin, salt, 2 gm soda bi-carbonate
Mix the green chillies, garlic, ginger and the coriander leaves and make a thick batter. Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
After they crackle add the curry leaves. Mix in all the rest of the tempering ingredients and add to the mashed potatoes.
Divide the potato mixture into equal sized portions. Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry until golden brown in colour.
Serve hot with a chutney and enjoy.