Batata vada / Vada pav (Coated Potato dumplings)

This is my husband's favourite!! It was his birthday last weekend and I made this for Brunch. Easy to make and tasty to eat!!

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• Potatoes - 4 large. Boiled in water/microwaved until cooked, peeled and mashed.  I microwaved the Potatoes for about 8 minutes on high.
• Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 tea spoon
• Mustard seeds  - 1 tea spoon
• Curry leaves - about 6
• Olive oil - 1 table spoon
• Canola oil - 2 cups for frying
• Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
• Ajwain (Carom seeds) - 1/2 tea spoon
• Salt - 1 tea spoon (add per taste)
• Green chilies - 4 chopped fine (add per taste)

For the batter:

• Besan (chick pea flour) - 1.5 cups
• Rice flour - 1/2 cup
• Baking soda - 1/2 tea spoon
• Salt - 1/4 tea spoon
• Turmeric - 1/2 tea spoon
• Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1/2 tea spoon
• Chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon (add per taste)
• Water - about 3/4 the cup

Method:

To a pan on medium heat, add 1 table spoon of Olive oil. Once it is heated, add mustard seeds.  Let it splutter.  Add curry leaves, Jeera and Ajwain to this.  Add the cooked and mashed potatoes to this.  Add salt and Turmeric and mix well.  Turn off the heat.  Take some mixture aside for the non-spicy version.  Add the green chilies and mix well.  Let this mixture cool for a few minutes.  Then, make 10-12 small round balls out of the cooled Potato mixture and keep it aside. 

To a bowl, add Besan, Rice flour, Salt, Turmeric, Jeera and Baking soda (for the spicy version, add the Chili powder).  Mix these dry ingredients and then add water.  Mix well. The batter should be of Idly batter / pancake batter consistency.  Add more water if needed.

To a Kadai (deep frying pan) on medium heat, add 2 cups of Canola oil.  Wait until it is heated.  I test it by dropping a drop of batter.  If the batter raised to the top, the oil is heated enough.  Now, take each of the Potato mixture balls, coat it with the batter and drop it carefully into the heated oil.  Rotate the ball with a spatula until it gets friend evenly and golden in color.  Take it out and the vada is ready to eat!! 

It can be enjoyed by itself or served with Pav, Bread, Dinner rolls, Ciabatta, etc.  I lightly pan fried the Ciabatta and it tasted excellent with the vada.  My husband loves it with a little bit on Garlic chutney and Green chilies on the side.

Note:

• Ajwain - See this link for more details Ajwain
• I do not use Olive Oil for frying as it takes longer to heat and difficult to maintain the oil temparature.