Batata vada is popular Maharashtrian street food. This can be served with a hot cup of tea/coffee or with dipping sauces like cilantro chutney or ketchup. Or batata vada can be used while making vada pav.
Batata vada means potato fritters (aloo vada or potato vada).
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❤️About This Recipe
Batata vada has two components, inner filling and outer coating.
- The inner filling is made from boiled, mashed potatoes and it is seasoned with ginger, garlic, green chili and curry leaves.
- For outer coating, the thick batter is made from besan (gram flour), rice flour and seasoned with salt, turmeric and chili powder.
- The round balls are made from potato filling. Then balls are dipped into the batter and deep-fried into the hot oil.
Deep Frying is a must.
- No, this batata vada cannot be shallow fried (like I have done in this pakora).
- They have to be submerged into the oil while frying to keep the round shape intact.
- If they are shallow fried then you’ll end up with flat vada and not a perfect round.
- This is the only reason I don’t make batata vada often as I have to heat a whole lot of oil that I can’t reuse. Plus, these are full of calories.
This batata vada recipe is the Maharashtrian style. There is another version is Gujarati style where potato filling is not seasoned with tempering.
In the Gujarati version, ginger-chili paste, cilantro, red chili powder, salt, sugar, lemon juice, etc are added to the boiled, mashed potato. Personally, I prefer this Mumbai style batata vada, as the Gujarati version has mild flavors.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Potatoes: I prefer to use Yukon gold or red skin potatoes. I avoid using Idaho potatoes as you can’t make the balls after they are boiled and mashed as they are high in starch and low in moisture.
- Ginger, Garlic, Green chili - You can crush all three together. Or simply use ginger garlic paste and finely chopped green chilies.
- Curry leaves: These are must-add as they add a nice aroma and flavor to the potato filling.
- Lemon juice: It is optional. Some don’t prefer to add any lemon or lime juice.
- Besan + Rice flour: The addition of rice flour makes the outer coating crispy. So I like to add it. But traditionally, the batter is just made from besan and spices.
- Baking soda: a tiny pinch is added to make the batter and outer coating light. You can skip it as I don’t see much difference without soda.
👩🍳Step By Step Photo Instructions
Making Potato Filling:
Boil the potatoes in instant pot or pressure cooker. Once cool to touch, peel them and mash them using a potato masher.
1) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add ginger, garlic paste, green chili and curry leaves. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
2) Add hing and turmeric powder.
3) Immediately add mashed potatoes and salt.
4) Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is almost dry.
5) Turn off the stove. Lastly, add lemon juice and cilantro.
6) Mix well. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
7) Remove the mixture to a plate and let it cool down completely.
8) Then divide into 8 equal portions and make round balls. If making small batata vada then you’ll get more than 8.
Making The Batter:
1) Take besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and baking soda in a bowl. Mix well.
2) Add water and stir to make a lump-free batter. The batter should not be too thin or too thick. It has to be thick yet runny consistency.
Making Batata Vada:
1) Heat the oil in a kadai or pan on medium heat for deep frying. Make sure to add enough oil so that vada are submerged into the oil.
2) Once the oil is hot, take one ball, and dip it into the batter. Move around so it is coated with the batter from all sides.
3) Now pick up the ball using your finger or use a spoon.
4) Gently slide the vada into the hot oil. Do not disturb them for 2 minutes otherwise, they will break into the oil. After that stir or move around in the oil for even browning.
5) Once they are fried to crisp and light golden color, remove them using a slotted spoon, and drain excess oil.
6) Place them on a paper towel lined plate. Serve them hot.
NOTE: Make a slit into green chilies and fry in the oil until they have blisters on the surface. Remove it from the oil, sprinkle some salt on top and serve with batata vada.
💭Expert Tips
- The potato filling mixture should not have too much moisture or water. If your boiled potatoes have more moisture in them then cook until it dries out so you can shape them into the balls.
- To avoid too much moisture in the filling, try not to overcook the potatoes. They should be soft yet firm.
- The batter consistency is the key to getting a perfect balance of filling and outer coating. If the batter is too thin then you’ll get no taste of the outer layer and feel like just eating potato. If the batter is too thick then the outer layer can become hard, chewy and taste too dough-like.
- Instead of deep-frying, you can use a paniyaram pan to cook them. In that case, make smaller size batata vada that can fit into the sections of your paniyaram pan.
- Make ahead: You can make potato filling or balls ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. You can make the batter a few hours earlier. At the time of serving just fry them. Make sure to bring the potato filling to room temperature before frying.
- Reheating: You can reheat batata vada in the oven or air fryer until crisp. Avoid using the microwave as it makes them soggy.
🍽 Serving Ideas
- Serve batata vada with a side of fried green chili and your choice of dippings like green chutney, ketchup, dry garlic chutney or tamarind date chutney.
- It can be eaten alone with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
- This can be stuffed into the buns with other chutneys to make vada pav.
Check Out Other Deep-Fried Snacks Recipes
Did you try this batata vada recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.
📋 Recipe Card
Batata Vada
Ingredients
For Potato Filling:
- 3 medium or 2 cups Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ¼ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste or freshly grated
- 1 Green chili chopped finely
- 7-8 Curry leaves
- a pinch Hing (Asafoetida)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 teaspoons Lemon juice or Lime juice
- 1 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped finely
For The Batter:
- ¾ cup Besan (gram flour)
- 1 tablespoon Rice flour
- Salt to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon Red chili powder
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon Water
- a small pinch Baking soda
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Making Potato Filling:
- Boil the potatoes in instant pot or pressure cooker. Once cool to touch, peel them and mash them using a potato masher.
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add ginger, garlic paste, green chili and curry leaves. Saute for 30-40 seconds or until the raw smell of ginger-garlic goes away.
- Add hing and turmeric powder. Immediately add mashed potatoes and salt.
- Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture is almost dry.
- Turn off the stove. Lastly, add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well. Taste and adjust the salt as needed.
- Remove the mixture to a plate and let it cool down completely.
- Then divide into 8 equal portions and make round balls. If making small batata vada then you’ll get more than 8.
Make The Batter:
- Take besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, red chili powder and baking soda in a bowl. Mix well.
- Add water and stir to make a lump-free batter. The batter should not be too thin or too thick. It has to be thick yet runny consistency.
Making Batata Vada:
- Heat the oil in a kadai or pan on medium heat for deep frying. Make sure to add enough oil so that vada are submerged into the oil.
- Once the oil is hot, take one ball, and dip it into the batter. Move around so it is coated with the batter from all sides.
- Now pick up the ball using your finger or use a spoon. Gently slide the vada into the hot oil.
- Do not disturb them for 2 minutes otherwise, they will break into the oil. After that stir or move around in the oil for even browning.
- Once they are fried to crisp and light golden color, remove them using a slotted spoon, and drain excess oil. Place them on a paper towel lined plate. Serve them hot.
- NOTE: Make a slit into green chilies and fry in the oil until they have blisters on the surface. Remove it from the oil, sprinkle some salt on top and serve with batata vada.
Notes
- The potato filling mixture should not have too much moisture or water. If your boiled potatoes have more moisture in them then cook until it dries out so you can shape them into the balls.
- To avoid too much moisture in the filling, try not to overcook the potatoes. They should be soft yet firm.
- The batter consistency is the key to getting a perfect balance of filling and outer coating. If the batter is too thin then you’ll get no taste of the outer layer and feel like just eating potato. If the batter is too thick then the outer layer can become hard, chewy and taste too dough-like.
- Instead of deep-frying, you can use a paniyaram pan to cook them. In that case, make smaller size batata vada that can fit into the sections of your paniyaram pan.
- Make ahead: You can make potato filling or balls ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator. You can make the batter a few hours earlier. At the time of serving just fry them. Make sure to bring the potato filling to room temperature before frying.
- Reheating: You can reheat batata vada in the oven or air fryer until crisp. Avoid using the microwave as it makes them soggy.
Asha
Hi Kanan
My daughter made the vada pav and because it was showed step by step in pics i didnt have to help her out.
It came out great and tasty!
Love Mumbai street food made at home!
Asha
sorry the stars got deleted....its 4 stars...
Kanan
Thank you Asha.
Glad to see that it was helpful to your daughter.
avantika
Tried your recipe. It came out quite well. Only thing i wanted to clarify as to how to get thick cover as we get out. Otherwise overall it was very good.
Kanan
to get thick cover, you need to keep besan batter really thick, so thick layer of batter will be coated around the vada.
Justina
Hi there
I was browsing thru the website for authentic Mumbai vada pav receipe and yours was perfect,
Very well illustrated the pics extra was too good thanks a lot
Kanan
good to know that you find it helpful.
Nada
Sight.....I SERIOUSLY FEEL HUNGRY NOW
mustardseed
I can never say no to batata vada!! I love garlic so I add that along with the ginger chili paste, but I am sure it tastes great without it too. Would love to see the vada pav.
Rathai
I'm learning a lot of new items and recipes thanks to your website, Kanan. I like that you post varied recipes and the vada looks perfectly made and delicious too with the potato filling! I love potatoes.