Batata Vada (Aloo Bonda or potato dumpling) is a spicy mixture of potato dipped in chikpea batter and fried to a perfection.
Boil 3 medium size potatoes, then peel and mash them.
In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they start to crackle, add curry leaves, turmeric and ginger chili paste. Saute.
Add mashed potatoes and coriander leaves. Mix well and cook for some time. Switch off the gas and keep it aside.
In a bowl, add chickpea flour, turmeric, chili powder, salt and water. Mix well. Make sure there are no lumps.
Now make small balls out of the potato mixture prepared above. Slightly flatten them and keep aside.
Heat oil in a deep kadhai/wok. Pour a spoon of hot oil into the batter. This helps to make vadas crispy.
Now add a drop of batter into hot oil. If it comes up after 2-3 seconds, desired temperature of oil is reached.
With the help of spoon or by hand, dip one potato dumpling into the batter and carefully drop it in the hot oil. Add other vadas in a similar way. Fry until golden yellow. Take out on a paper towel.
Serve vadas as is with chutneys or with pav coated with chutneys. Enjoy yummy vada pav :)