Maharashtrian Recipe : Batata vada and vada pav

Ingredients for Batata vada and vada pav recipe

Serving size - 4
6-8 medium sized boiled potatoes,
2 cups gram flour (besan),
oil for frying,
salt,
pav ( A kind of bun, In India it is known as Pav) - If pavs are not available, you can use any other bun. Choose the ones which do not taste sweet.

Masala

1 small piece ginger,
4-5 flakes garlic,
4-5 (or more) green chilies,
1/2 cup coriander leaves (chopped),

For tempering

1 tea spoon turmeric powder,
curry leaves,
1 teaspoon mustard seeds,
2 teaspoon oil Vada Pav

Direction :

1. Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies together into a paste.

2. Peel and smash potatoes with a potato masher (or simply use hands). Do not smash completely. Let some small chunks remain.

3. Add ginger, garlic and green chili paste, coriander leaves, and salt to the potatoes.

4. Then take 2 teaspoons oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add turmeric powder and curry leaves.
Pour this tempering on the mashed potatoes and mix gently. .

5. Make small balls of mashed potato mixture. (You can flatten the balls if you like)

6. Add some salt, turmeric powder and chili powder to the gram flour. Add water gradually and keep mixing with a sppon or wire whisk. Remove lumps if any. The batter should not be too watery or too thick. If lifted by a spatula, it should flow in a ribbon like consistency.

7. Heat some oil in a pan. To check if oil is properly heated, drop some batter in the oil. If the batter immediately turns soild and float on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready. Also make sure that the oil is not too hot. Otherwise, the vadas become dark from the outside before they are actually done from the inside.

8. Now dip each ball in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off and slowly add to the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, else the temperature of the oil reduces which in turn slows down the frying process. Like this, deep fry all the vadas until golden. Remove on a paper towel and drain. Batata Vadas are ready.

9. For Vada Pav, split Pav keeping the base intact & spread garlic chutney or green chutney on the inner surfaces of it. Place the vada in it. Serve hot.

Tip: Instead of adding whole curry leaves, you can grind them along with the ginger- garlic paste to bring out their flavor.
Variation: Substitute 1 tsp udad dal (split black gram) for mustard seeds in the tempering

Bengali Recipe Shukto

Ingredients for typical bengali Shukto recipe:

kaachkola(plantain ) 1
mulo(radish/daikon) 1 cup
aloo(potato) 1 medium
begun(eggplant) 1 medium
uchche(bittergourd) 1 (slice thinly)
shorshe(mustard seeds) 1-1/2 tbsp.
methi(fenugreek seeds) 1/2 tsp.
posto(poppy seeds) 2 tbsp.
salt to taste 1 tbsp.

Direction :

Soak 1 tbsp. of each mustard seeds and poppy seeds in warm water. Cut plantain, radish, potato and eggplant lengthwise (about 2" long). Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a wok. Fry the eggplant pieces, set aside. Fry the bitter gourd slices, and set aside. In the remaining oil, roast 1/2 tsp. each of fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add to it the plantain, radish(mulo), and potato and stir fry in medium heat. As you stir the vegetables, blend the soaked mustard seeds and poppy seeds and about 1" long fresh ginger root, all in a blender into a smooth paste. After stir frying vegetables for about 5 to 7 minutes, add the blended mixture to the vegetables and stir constantly for about 2 minutes. Add salt. Also, add the fried bitter gourd slices and eggplant pieces. Add now to the "shukto" about 1/2 cup of hot water and cover wok for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and check if the vegetables are cooked or not. When vegetables are all cooked, pour on top about 1 tsp. of either butter or ghee. Serve with rice.