Bataka (Bateta) Vada
Bataka Vada is my dad’s favorite desi fried food. This with fruit salad is every Gujarati dad’s dream for lunch. It is probably the one food that they could eat in every meal of the day. My masi has the best recipe for these (shout out to Rita Masi!) but when she is not here us amateurs have to fend for ourselves. This recipe turned out delicious and we made Vada Pav the next day to close out our wonderful cholesterol filled weekend. Next time there is a rainstorm, hunker down and make some Bataka Vada.
Ingredients:
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled and boiled
- 1 cup frozen green garlic
- 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
- 1/4 c. chopped raw cashews
- 3 tbsp. neutral oil
- 2 tbsp. green chili paste
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tbsp. ginger paste
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 2 tsp. mustard seeds (rai)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. asafoetida (hing)
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric (hardar/haldi/avej)
- 10-15 curry leaves
- juice of 2 limes
For the batter:
- 3 cups chickpea flour (besan or channa no lot)
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric (hardar/haldi/avej)
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- juice of 1/2 lime
- oil for deep frying
Method:
- Boil potatoes until fully cooked, and cool completely. Once they are completely cooled grate them.
- In a pot heat 3 tbsp. of oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter for 30 second. Add asafoetida and stir for 15 seconds. Add in all other spices and ingredients other than the lime juice. Stir and temper for 30 seconds to a minute. Add this to the potato mixture. Add lemon juice and stir thoroughly.
- Roll 2 tbsps. of the potato mixture (you will come to around 30-40 balls) and keep aside.
- For the batter add the chickpea flour, baking soda, salt, and turmeric to a medium mixing bowl. Slowly stream in water until you have a pancake batter consistency. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. Right before frying whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil (around 400°).
- Heat the frying oil to 400° and dip one ball into the batter and deep fry until golden brown on the bottom (roughly 30 seconds). Flip the ball and let the other side get golden brown (roughly 10 seconds). Serve hot with my spicy red or green chutney, ketchup or achar masala!
Bataka (Bateta) Vada
Bataka Vada is my dad's favorite desi fried food. This with fruit salad is every Gujarati dad's dream for lunch. It is probably the one food that they could eat in every meal of the day. My masi has the best recipe for these (shout out to Rita Masi!) but when she is not here us amateurs have to fend for ourselves. This recipe turned out delicious and we made Vada Pav the next day to close out our wonderful cholesterol filled weekend. Next time there is a rainstorm, hunker down and make some Bataka Vada.
Ingredients
- 3 Russet potatoes peeled and boiled
- 1 cup frozen green garlic
- 1/2 c. chopped cilantro
- 1/4 c. chopped raw cashews
- 3 tbsp. neutral oil
- 2 tbsp. green chili paste
- 2 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tbsp. ginger paste
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 2 tsp. mustard seeds rai
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. asafoetida hing
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric hardar/haldi/avej
- 10-15 curry leaves
- juice of 2 limes
For the batter:
- 3 cups chickpea flour besan or channa no lot
- 1.5 cups water
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric hardar/haldi/avej
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- juice of 1/2 lime
- oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Boil potatoes until fully cooked, and cool completely. Once they are completely cooled grate them.
- In a pot heat 3 tbsp. of oil on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter for 30 second. Add asafoetida and stir for 15 seconds. Add in all other spices and ingredients other than the lime juice. Stir and temper for 30 seconds to a minute. Add this to the potato mixture. Add lemon juice and stir thoroughly.
- Roll 2 tbsps. of the potato mixture (you will come to around 30-40 balls) and keep aside.
- For the batter add the chickpea flour, baking soda, salt, and turmeric to a medium mixing bowl. Slowly stream in water until you have a pancake batter consistency. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. Right before frying whisk in 1/2 cup of the hot frying oil (around 400°).
- Heat the frying oil to 400° and dip one ball into the batter and deep fry until golden brown on the bottom (roughly 30 seconds). Flip the ball and let the other side get golden brown (roughly 10 seconds). Serve hot with my spicy red or green chutney, ketchup or achar masala!
