Indian food is full of taste.Be it eggless,vegan or gluten-free.You can get any number of allergies and still have something yummy at breakfast.Anyone who says they cant find anything too eat has not found correct variety of Indian food.People think its only spicy curries.But the list is so huge even within a state.Every house has its special recipe,a special spice mix and special tradition.There is so much variety.Unfortunately,people stop at lassi or samosa or at some meat biryanis.If we continued to research history of Indian food,you would probably find a huge pile of recipes never heard of.No wonder,our civilization survived for centuries. Batata alooor aloo bada is one yummy snack which is also a perfect spicy Indian breakfast recipe. Basically it is batata bhaji rolled into balls with a besan/ chickpea flour coating. Perfect to fill your tummy while you are on the go.
With the recent advent of air fryer, we have started to convert lot of our deep frying recipes to low oil recipes in the airfryer. Read below about the steps to make the aloo bonda in air fryer.
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What is batata vada?
Most people who know Maharashtra, know Vada pav. It is the integral part of this snack where aloo bada is served with ladi pav. We usually have it for breakfast. It is a special recipe which has many fans. My dad loves it and so does my son. You can find it all across Mumbai and Maharashtra. Batata meaning potato and vada, a fried lentil donuts. Soft potato filling inside crispy besan or chickpea cover, makes it a double delight. It can be made extra spicy when served with lehsun chutney or garlic chutney powder. Add a pav or bun to it and you have a vada pav ready. Serve it with sambhar and you have a bonda sambar ready. Just serve it as is and it is a heaven for all those who love fried carbs. Trust me I had rather eat this than a boring burger!
Here, we have added sweet potatoes to original all potato recipe. Sweet potato gives it a beautiful color and also makes it less spicy for kids.
Amazed ,how to make ladi pav at home? Click here to see the recipe.
How to make batata vada?
For the traditional method/Frying in wok:
- Mix boiled potato with spices, mix all ingredients.
2.Shape them into balls with your palms.
3.Make a thin batter with besan, spices and salt.
4.Roll them individually in besan/chickpea flour.
5. Dip them in besan batter. Repeat for all.
6.Heat oil in a wok and start frying it on medium flame.
7. Fry them until golden brown , Serve with chutney or ketchup
Vada pav in air fryer
When you miss your vada pav, you will go any lengths to make it. Fast forward 2021 and the season of lockdowns and quarantines. No going to gym to burn those extra calories, not much exercise either. How do I binge on my fast food then?
Here comes the solution.. Air fyer!
Below is the recipe of an Air fryer batata vada tasting just as good as the fried ones when served as vada pav. How do you make aloo bada in air fryer? Scroll down for details.
How to make batata vada in air fryer ?
The steps to make the filling and besan batter remain the same as above.You may optionally add 1-2 teaspoon of semolina/suji to the batter.
Once they are ready, dip the potato stuffing in batter. Place it on a grill and plate underneath it. This way,you can remove the excess batter.
In an (preheated for 10 mins) air-fryer, place the vada,brush/spary oil and cook the vada for 7 mins at 180 degree C.
Optionally you can spread a baking sheet/steaming sheet on the air fryer to avoid any batter to drip.
Brush oil on the vada using a pastry brush.
Cook further for 8-10 mins at 180 degree C.
Serve hot with garlic chutney powder, green chillies and warm pav buns.
Read the aloo bonda recipe below
Batata vada Recipe
Equipment
- wok
- or air-fryer
- steamer/pressure cooker
Ingredients
- ½ cup besan or chickpea flour for the batter
- 1 tablespoon sooji in case of using air fryer,Semolina is not gluten free.
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoon besan or chickpea flour for rolling the vada
- Pinch of baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon rice flour optional
- Salt as per taste
For filling
- 2 cup boiled potatoes
- 1 small piece ginger
- 1 green chillies
- ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon red chillu powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For frying:
- Oil
Instructions
For filling
- Steam or boil the potatoes until soft.They should not be mushy.
- Mash them and add ginger, chillies,salt,red chilli powder,turmeric to create a filling.
- Make small balls out of the mixture and keep it aside.
For covering
- Keep aside 2 tablespoon besan with salt,roll over the vada
- Add water to chickpea flour mix and make a batter out of it.
- Add soda,salt,turmeric powder,red chilli powder.
For frying (traditional way)
- Heat oil in a wok.
- Once paste is ready,dip the potato balls in it
- On a medium-high flame, fry until golden brown in hot oil.
- Serve hot with tomato sauce, mint chutney or garlic chutney powder.
For Air-fryer version
- Add 1 tablespoon of sooji/semolina to the batter and mix.
- Once paste is ready, dip the potato balls in it. Remove any additional batter.
- Spread a baking sheet(perforated/with holes) in the air fryer basket to avoid any batter to dip.
- In an (preheated for 10 mins) air-fryer, cook the vada for 7 mins at 180 degree C.
- Now brush oil/spray oil over the vada.
- Cook for 6-7 mins at 180 degree C
- Remove the vada slowly from the baking sheet , and cook for further 2 minutes.
- Serve hot with tomato ketchup, mint chutney or garlic chutney powder and pav with some fried green chillies.
Notes
Trivia: Batata vada song
Most people have heard of the ketchup song but did you know? There is also a song on this recipe. Check it out when you are free. Yes it is actually very catchy..It shows a good comparison between the dish and in being in love. Eat sing and enjoy!
How many types of Vada are there?
There are many types of Vada in India. See our favorite variations below.
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