Aloo Bonda / Batata Vada

When it comes to indulging my husband with food, potatoes feature prominently and repeatedly in the list. I am sure it tops everyone's list! So, there's been a potato fest at our home recently. 

If there's potatoes and a fest, it has to involve something deep-fried. And one of the most popular Indian street-foods that calls for deep frying spicy potatoes has to be aloo bonda, or known as batata vada in Mumbai. How can a food that calls for deep frying spicy balls of potatoes dipped in a thick and tasty batter not be popular on any planet (involving humans)?

Making these vadas at home brings in the pungent and nostalgic smell of hot oil meeting batter and potatoes - an inescapable aroma that's sure to assault your senses if you take a walk down a busy Indian street that clamors with food, lights, colors, sound, and chatter.

Ingredients (makes 24 bondas/vadas):

1. 4 medium sized white / yukon gold potatoes, cooked, peeled, and crumbled (this should result in 4 cups of crumbled cooked potatoes)
2. 2 green chillies, minced
3. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
4. 2 teaspoons of minced ginger
5. 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro / coriander leaves
6. 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
7. 1/4 teaspoon hing / asafoetida
8. 1/2 teaspoon split, husked urad dal / black gram / ulutham paruppu
9. 1 teaspoon garam masala powder (optional but recommended)
10. 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
11. 2 cups of besan / chickpea flour
12. 4 tablespoons rice flour
13. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
14. 3/4 teaspoon baking soda (baking soda is not added to leaven the batter or puff up the vadas. It is added to add crunch and crispiness and help in evenly browning the vadas)
15. salt, as needed
16. water, as needed to make the batter
17. 3 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for deep frying and sauteeing

 

Preparation:

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet. When hot, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, hing and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and fry for a few seconds on medium heat. Add ginger, green chillies and garlic and fry for 30 seconds or so. 
2. Add the crumbled potatoes and some salt to season the potatoes (you will be adding some salt to the batter as well, so add salt accordingly) and mix/fry the potatoes until the turmeric evenly coats them. 
3. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon graram masala powder and mix it in to the potatoes. Add cilantro and remove from heat and mix well. When cool enough to handle, roll out small tight balls. 
4. Prepare the batter. In a bowl, add the besan, rice flour, salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, chilli powder, and 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder and mix evenly. Slowly add water and make a thick batter that falls in ribbons (it takes about 1.25 cups of water or slightly less). Finally add the baking soda and mix gently. 
5. Heat oil until ready to fry. Drop a small dollop of batter in the oil and check if it begins to sizzle and fry. Then the oil is ready. Decrease the heat to medium (or low-medium) and dip each potato ball in the batter such that they are evenly coated and drop into the hot oil. Do not fry more than 3-4 at a time. Gently fry and turn the potatoes until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. 

Serve immediately with mint-coriander chutney, sweet & sour chutney, tomato chutney, or just ketchup. 

A small variation: Apply any of the above chutney/sauces to a couple of hamburger buns (or Indian buns called paav). Sandwich this bonda between the buns for a delicious street-food called Vada Paav - India's potato burger!