Batata vada with tamarind sauce
Little balls of battered, spiced, fried mash - who doesn't want this?! With a sweet and sour tamarind dip they're irresistable.
Ingredients
- 4 floury potatoes, left whole
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú urid dal
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 8–10 curry leaves
- pinch ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh root ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 green chilli, finely chopped
- pinch salt
- squeeze lemon juice
For the batter
- 100²µ/3½ gram flour (chickpea flour)
- pinch salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- sunflower oil, for deep frying
For the tamarind sauce
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú tamarind ±è³Ü°ùé±ð
- 1 tsp ground cumin, roasted
- ½ tsp hot red chilli powder
- pinch ground ginger
- pinch salt
- 4–5 tbsp jaggery
Method
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and cook the potatoes for 20 minutes, or until tender to the point of a knife. Allow to cool. Remove the skins and mash the flesh, then set aside.
Add the vegetable oil to a large saucepan over a low heat and stir in the urad dal to toast for a few minutes. Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric, ginger, garlic and chilli and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the mashed potatoes, mix well and season with salt and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and make 12–16 balls using a mini ice-cream scoop. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
Meanwhile, to make the batter, mix everything together with 110ml/4fl oz water in a bowl. Cover and chill until ready to use.
To make sauce, put all the ingredients except the jaggery, in a large saucepan with 100ml/3½fl oz water. Bring to the boil over a high heat, simmer for 1 minute then add the jaggery and bubble until thickened.
Heat the oil in a deep saucepan to 170C or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Taking one ball at a time, dip into the batter, shake off any excess and deep-fry for 4–5 minutes, or until golden. Serve with the tamarind sauce.
