By Bhavana Motiwala
INDIA New England Columnist
SHARON, MA–Batatawada is a staple junk food of Maharashtra. Poor man’s complete meal, rich man’s indulgence.
Famous street food. Different on every street corner. People swear loyalty to each of the vendors.
Binge eating is very common. This has HIGH calory/fat content. Enjoy it once in a while.
Ingredients: 0.5 kg potatoes, sugar, salt, lime, turmeric, Cilantro/Corriander, crushed garlic,
Seasoning: 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp udad daal and 15-20 curry leaves.
Batter: 1.5 cup besan + Salt to taste,
Method: Boil the potatoes, peel and mash them. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and seasoning.
(Seasoning should be prepared by heating the 2tsp oil, and other components till the udad daal turns brown.)
Make them into small balls, usually 1.5-2″ diameter
Batter making: mix this besan and salt in about 0.5-1 cup water.(be careful, NOT to add too much water ahead of time)
Now dip the balls in the batter. Ensure the batter is of such thickness and consistency that you cannot see the potato through it.
Take a spoon and start frying them in pre-heated oil. (Spoon will save a lot of hand burns)
How do you know if the temperature of the oil is high enough? drop a drop of batter in the boiling oil, if it rises quickly to the surface, your oil is at the right temperature.
Fry the wadas till they are pink. Ensure they DON’T turn brown.
Best served with Bombay style Paav. In the Paav or bread, mix generous quantity of Green Chutney, Tamarind Chutney, Garlic Powder or Pickled mustard hot green chilli peppers.
If you need to place order, feel free to contact the author.
Enjoy this song while making Wada’s for your family:
(About Bhavana Motiwala: Motiwala is a house wife with a passion for cooking. She lives in Sharon, MA, with her two kids and husband, Paresh Motiwala. She also owns a business called “Circles of Growth” or www.circlesofgrowth.com where they run a successful Day Care and Children Development Programs like Public Speaking, Debating, Group Discussions, Event Planning.)
