BATATA VADA (Potato Vada) AND VADA PAV (Pav Stuffed With Potato Vada)

BATATA VADA
Batata Vada is made in different states of India, but nothing can beat the authentic taste of batata vada’s made in Maharashtra. In south, the batata vadas is known as Uralakazhangu Bonda in Tamil or (Potato bonda). The recipe varies slightly in the south from the Bombay recipe. I think any person who comes to Bombay from any part of the world, will be totally hooked to the Vada-Pav (which is a Bombay dish or rather we can say a Bombay street food). The Vada Pav is nothing but A pav (bun) stuffed with chutneys and batata vada) Its very tasty and filling. Its something that is totally irresistible. Usually garlic is added in the batata vada, but my recipe is without garlic, but if you like the flavor of garlic, you can always add some garlic and make a paste along with the ginger and green-chilly. Here is the recipe of the Batata vada, Vada Pav and Vada Pav my style. Do try this yummy dish out.

Ingredients
Potatoes - 6-8
Green chilies – 4-5
Ginger - 1 small piece
Finely chopped Coriander leaves
Gram Flour (Besan) – 2 cups
Turmeric powder – 1tsp
Red chilly powder – 1tsp
Oil for frying,
Asafetida – 2 pinches
Salt as per taste
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Method
Boil the potatoes, Peel and mash the potatoes with your hands. It should be mashed in such a way that its slightly chunky and not completely mashed. Keep Aside.
Grind ginger and green chilies together into a paste. Keep aside.
In a Kadhai (wok), take 1 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and when they begin to crackle, add the cumin seeds and the ginger - green chili paste, a pinch of asafetida, now add the mashed potatoes, add turmeric powder, salt according to taste and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves. Check for salt. If the taste is okay keep aside. Allow to cool down. Once the mixture has cooled down, make balls of the mixture and keep aside.
In a separate bowl, take the gram flour, add salt, red chilly powder and a pinch of asafetida and mix well. Add water and mix, there shouldn’t be any lumps in the mixture.The batter should be in the consistency of the dosa batter (not too watery or too thick.). To test take some batter in a spoon and drop it inside the batter. It should flow like a ribbon inside the batter.
Now in a Kadhai (wok), heat some oil. To check if oil is properly heated, drop some batter in the oil. If the batter immediately turns soild and float on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready. The oil should not be too hot, else the vadas will become dark from the outside before they are actually done from the inside.
Now dip each ball in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off and slowly add to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the kadhai, else the temperature of the oil reduces which in turn slows down the frying process. Deep fry all the vadas until golden in color. Remove on a paper towel and drain. Your Batata Vadas are ready.

VADA PAV
Pav is a freshly baked bun. If pav is no available, you can use any other unsweetened bun or even bread. We use freshly baked French loaves in Singapore, as we don’t get unsweetened pavs. Cut the French loaf into equal pieces and then split them in the middle. Now add Coriander chutney, Dry Lasoon chutney, sweet tamarind chutney and freshly chopped onions if you like. Place the Vada inside and serve hot.

VADA PAV my style*****

With the left over gram flour batter, I usually drop boondis in the hot oil, through a spoon with holes in it. I get fresh, crispy boondis. I also fry green chillies in the oil and keep aside the fried green chillies mixed with some salt. Split open the pav, Add the chutneys of your choice, finely chopped onions, a pinch of chaat masala, the freshly fried boondis and then place the vada, close the pav and indulge in this tongue tickling Vada pao with a bite of the fried chillies.

What more can a person ask on a rainy day or any day for that matter. Vada-pao is like a complete meal.

(Refer to the Chutneys and Sauces section of my blog for the recipes of Coriander chutney, Dry Lasoon Chutney and Sweet Tamarind Chutney)