BATATAWADA / VADA – homemade this time
Like I said, greatest hits.
This is iconic Mumbai / Maharashtra street food. There are tiny stops along highway routes that are so famous for their Batatawadas that they are automatic stops when folks are driving out of town on holiday (Khopoli I’m looking at you).
I described the street food version above, but we also make a few different versions at home:
- my grandmother’s: seasoned with dry spices, green chilli, and fresh ginger. Very thin coating of gram flour, just enough to hold the potato together.
- my great-aunt’s (my favorite, and a signature dish in the extended family; my mom procured the recipe for me): heavy on aromatics, plus a few dry spices, slightly thicker coating than my grandma’s but I prefer the thinner version
- adapted street version (my dad’s favorite): heavier on everything, tempering inside, thicker coating
These Vadas were made specially for my dad, who loves them more than anyone but can no longer eat his beloved street version as they’re way too spicy for him now. And we’ve been eating them left, right, and center, while the poor guy watches. So I asked mom to make them at home for him without chillies. Mom likes using her appe / paniyaram pan sometimes instead of deep frying.
Really tasty even without chillies, and dad was so happy!
