Delicious Batata Vada are potato fritters made with seasoned mashed potato balls coated in a gram flour batter and then deep fried for a classic snack or appetizer.
There’s no appetizer more classic than these batata vadas. Every culture has its favorite potato This batata or aloo vada is a definite classic for us South Asians / Desis.
In this Post:
- Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ingredients you need
- How to make Batata / Aloo Vada?
- What to serve with Batata Vadas?
- More Delicious Appetizer Recipes
Why you’ll love this recipe
Batata Vadas are a classic street food or snack in many South Asian regions. They’re often even served in between buns topped with lots of chutney for a delicious street food snack sandwich!
These batata vadas are crispy on the outside, with a soft filling that is tangy and spicy at the same time. It is the perfect bite!
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more Pakistani and Indian recipes with potatoes, you’ll love these:
- Aloo Pakora – Sliced Potato Fritters
- Aloo Ki Bhujia
- Potato chops: Indian Style Meat and Potato Croquettes
- Aloo Paratha: Potato Stuffed Flatbread
- Aloo Gobi – Pakistani Cauliflower and Potato Curry
Ingredients & Notes
- Potatoes – typically we use white or yellow potatoes for these vadas and boil them ahead of time.
- Chana atta / Besan / Gram Flour – this is a flour made from the gram chickpea, found in many Asian stores. It adds an earthy, nutty flavor to the batata vada batter.
- Spices – Mustard seeds, Red chilli powder, Turmeric powder, Hing/Asafoetida – are used to season the potato mix for a tangy and spicy flavor.
- Ginger-Garlic Paste – or equal parts crushed ginger and crushed garlic. This paste is a popular pantry item for Pakistani and Indian food. We love making a big batch of ginger garlic paste at home and having it ready to go in the fridge.
- Fresh Herbs – Green chilli, Curry leaves, Cilantro – these add freshness to the potatoes.
- Oil – The aloo pakora is deep fried – we typically use canola or vegetable oil for deep frying.
How to make Batata / Aloo Vada?
Potato Mixture
Boil the Potatoes
In a large pot, boil the potatoes with skin, add salt and cook till tender. Keep aside to cool.
Once cooled, peel the skin, and mash the potatoes using a fork or a masher.
Season the Potatoes
In a pot over low to medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of oil, add the mustard seeds till crackle, add curry leaves till fragrant.
Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
Add asafoetida and turmeric powder and mix well. Add the mashed potatoes, salt, chopped green chilli, and cilantro and mix well.
Keep aside to cool down.
Batata Vada Batter
In a bowl, add besan, salt red chilli powder mix and add water to make the batter not too thin and not too thick.
Adjust the batter by adding besan if it is too runny, or add a little water to make a thinner batter.
Fry the Batata Vadas
Take a portion of the potato mixture (1-2 tablespoons) and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hands.
Add enough oil to deep fry the batata vada in a pan over medium heat. Test that the oil is hot by adding a little batter to it. If it floats, it’s ready. Once the oil is hot, dip the potato balls in the besan batter and carefully transfer them to the hot oil.
Let the vada cook for a couple of minutes. Baste the top of it with some oil as you fry it. Turn over to cook the other side.
Once golden brown all over, use a slotted spoon to take off excess oil and put it on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove extra oil.
What to serve with Batata Vada?
These batata vadas are best served hot and fresh.
Serve them with your favorite chutneys. Here are some of our favorites with batata vada:
- Green Imli Chutney: Spicy, Sweet Tangy Sauce
- Green Chutney
- Khajur Imli Chutney: Sweet and Tangy Tamarind and Date Sauce
- Red Chili sauce – mix together ketchup and your favorite chilli sauce for a sweet and tangy sauce.
Recipes you’ll love
If you’re looking for more appetizer and snack recipes, here are some of our favorites:
If you give this recipe a try, we’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @thespicemess
Batata / Aloo Vada
Ingredients
- 3-4 Potatoes
- ½-¾ cup Besan
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Hing/Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic Paste
- 1-2 Green chilli chopped
- 3-5 Curry leaves
- ¼ cup Cilantro chopped
- Oil to Fry
Instructions
Boil the Potatoes
- In a large pot, boil the potatoes with skin, add salt and cook till tender.
- Keep aside to cool.
- Once cooled, peel the skin, and mash the potatoes using a fork or a masher.
Season the Potatoes
- In a pot over low to medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of oil, add the mustard seeds till crackle, add curry leaves till fragrant.
- Add ginger and garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add asafoetida and turmeric powder and mix well. Add the mashed potatoes, salt, chopped green chilli, and cilantro and mix well.
- Keep aside to cool down.
Batata Vada Batter
- In a bowl, add besan, salt red chilli powder mix and add water to make the batter not too thin and not too thick.
- Adjust the batter by adding besan if it is too runny, or add a little water to make a thinner batter.
Fry the Batata Vadas
- Take a portion of the potato mixture (1-2 tablespoons) and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hands.
- Add enough oil to deep fry the batata vada in a pan over medium heat.
- Test that the oil is hot by adding a little batter to it. If it floats, it’s ready.
- Once the oil is hot, dip the potato balls in the besan batter and carefully transfer them to the hot oil.
- Let the vada cook for a couple of minutes. Baste the top of it with some oil as you fry it. Turn over to cook the other side.
- Once golden brown all over, use a slotted spoon to take off excess oil and put it on a plate lined with a paper towel to remove extra oil.
- Serve fresh with Green chutney, Imli (Tamarind) chutney or any of your favorite sauces.