Maharashtrian Recipe: Potato is a favorite ingredient in India. Many regions have their own delicious potato dishes, ranging from snacks and flatbreads to curries and sabzis. In Maharashtra, potatoes are used to make one of the most popular street-style snacks: batata vada. This dish is not only enjoyed with bread in the form of the famous Vada Pav. Many people like to eat it plain, mixed with one or two chutneys. If you are planning to make batata vada at home, you should keep these things in mind:
Maharashtrian Recipe: 6 Key Tips To Make Perfect Batata Vada At Home
1. Use thick but smooth gram flour batter for vadas
The basic ingredients of the gram flour batter used for batata vada are the same as those used to make many types of bhajiyas and pakodas. However, the consistency should be slightly different in this Maharashtrian recipe. Batata Vada is shaped like a small ball and is made from mashed potatoes. They are heavier than most bhajiyas and pakodas. Therefore, the gram flour batter should be thick for them. While making the batter, beat well to remove lumps and ensure that you do not add too much water. If the potato balls are not coated properly before frying or if you use too thin a batter, you will compromise the taste and texture of the vadas.
Also read: 5 easy tips to make perfect desi bread rolls at home
2. Add some oil to the batter
This is a tried and tested trick to get the perfect gram flour batter for your batata vada. Although this may seem surprising to some people, but believe me, it can work wonders. If you are using 2 cups of gram flour, add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the batter and mix well. Doing this can help you get a smooth batter. Later, when you dip the potato balls in it, they will not seem sticky to you.
Batata Vada Recipe: The batter for vadas has to be made very carefully. Photo Credit: iStock
3. First make the batter and let it rest
An easy way to improve the overall consistency of your batter is to give it time to rest. Thus, make sure you make this first – before doing any of the other steps in the recipe. – Cover the batter and keep it aside. Meanwhile, you can prepare other ingredients/elements of this Maharashtrian recipe.
4. Cool the potatoes for Batata Vada.
-Boil the potatoes and let them cool for some time. Keep them in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes and then peel them. When you do this, you will feel that the peels come off easily and the stickiness of the potato also reduces. Mash the potatoes well, but retain some bite – this depends on the texture you want for the batata vada.
Also read: 10 street foods you must try in Mumbai
5. Grind other ingredients for Batata Vada
Batata Vada Recipe: For some ingredients, crushing rather than finely chopping may be a better option. Photo Credit: Pixabay
Instead of finely chopping the ginger, garlic and green chillies to be mixed with the potatoes, choose to crush them together. To do this you can use a mortar and pestle or a similar utensil. Crushing the ingredients can bring out their flavor better. It also contributes to the traditional taste of vada.
6. Pay attention to the temperature of the oil for frying
The last step is to deep fry the batata vada. Make sure you don’t take them out before the oil is hot enough. If you do this, they may absorb excess oil and become soggy. Considering that the vadas are already heavy, this will not make them tasty enough. Additionally, do not let the oil get too hot before adding the vadas. If this happens, the coating may burn and the filling may be undercooked.
Do you want the complete recipe of Maharashtrian style batata vada? Click here to test it.
Also read: 8 Easy Maharashtrian Vegetable Dishes to Make and Enjoy at Home (Recipes Inside)
