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Delicious close up of bata vada on the wooden bachground.
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5 from 6 votes

Batata Vada (Indian Potato Balls) 

Do not get over-whelmed by long list of ingredients, most of them are pantry ingredients. I've marked non-pantry ingredients as optional to keep the recipe simple.
Course Snack
Cuisine Indian
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword batata vada recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 15 balls
Calories 135kcal

Ingredients

  • 500 gm potato boiled and peeled

Tempering

  • 1 tablespoon oil more to fry
  • 2 twigs curry leaves subtitute with 2 tablespoon cilantro
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds optional
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds optional
  • 2 green chillies finely chopped
  • ½ tablespoon garlic paste
  • ½ tablespoon red chilli flakes
  • ½ tablespoon cumin powder
  • ½ tablespoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • teaspoon salt

other

  • 1 medium onions finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoon lemon juice

For Coating

  • 1 cup gram flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon red chilli
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda optional for crispiness. See notes.
  • ½ cup water or as needed

Instructions

  • Mashed boiled potatoes until smooth and set aside.

For tempering

  • Heal oil in a pan add garlic and mustard. Fry for few seconds then all the remaining ingredients of tempering. Give it a stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Now, stir in chopped onions, mix well and remove from heat.
  • Add the mashed potatoes, sugar, and lemon juice to the tempering. Mix well and make 15 small balls. Keep in the fridge to cool for 10 minutes to chill or until needed.

Make coating batter

  • Meanwhile, make the batter for coating by mixing all ingredients for coating in a bowl. Make a smooth and thick batter of dropping consistency.

Fry Batata Vada

  • Heat about 2 inches oil in a non-stick wok or pot. Dip each potato ball in the chickpea flour batter. Lift it carefully with wooden spatula. Slowly slide the ball into hot oil without denting it.
  • Fry 4-5 balls in a batch. Spoon oil over the ball but do not stir until firm. Then flip the ball and cook evenly until golden.
  • Remove from oil to a paper towel. Serve hot with any chutney or sauce.

Notes

Baking soda: It is added to make coating crispy, you can skip it. You can also add 2 tablespoon rice flour to make coating crispy.
Other variations:
  • Protein options: Add shredded leftover chicken or leftover mince or shredded beef.
  • Veg options: Add green peas or green onions. 

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 381mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 99IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg