Recipe for Alu-Meti Batata Vada with Secret Spice for Serving with Tea

August 14, 11:07

If fresh green mint (meti) is available, it will be ideal; otherwise, dried mint and boiled potatoes can be used to prepare this vada. Adding a special secret fried mixture gives this vada a flavor that surpasses even street-style vada pav. Below is a simple way to prepare this Alu-Meti Batata Vada.

How to make Batata Vada

First, you need to prepare a mass from the potato. For this, you will need whole cumin (sabut dhaniya): 1 tablespoon, cardamom (saunf): 1 teaspoon, whole cumin (sabut jeera): 1 teaspoon, ajwain: 1/2 teaspoon, and dried red pepper: 2 pieces. These whole spices must be lightly roasted in a deep fryer over low heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. After cooling, they should be ground in a blender or mortar to a coarse powder.

Ingredients for the Potato and Mint Filling

For the filling, you will need 4 boiled potatoes (mashed), 1 cup of fresh mint (finely chopped and washed), 1 tablespoon of the ready secret mixture, 1/2 teaspoon of nigella seeds/mustard, a pinch of asafoetida (hing), 8-10 curry leaves, 2 hot peppers (thinly sliced), 1 tablespoon of ginger and garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of amchur powder or lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro, and salt to taste.

For the legume batter (besan), you need 1.5 cups of besan, 2 tablespoons of rice flour (to give the vadas a crispy texture), 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper powder, a pinch of baking soda, and 1 tablespoon of hot oil (to add to the batter). Salt to taste is also required.

Cooking Process

First, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Then fry the nigella seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, hot pepper, and ginger and garlic paste for 30 seconds. After this, add the thinly sliced mint and cook for 2 minutes until all the moisture from the mint evaporates and its bitterness disappears. Next, mix in the turmeric, salt to taste, amchur powder, and the prepared secret mixture. Then add the mashed potato and cilantro, mixing all ingredients thoroughly. After 2 minutes of simmering, turn off the gas and let the mixture cool. When the mass cools, form balls the size of a lemon.

Preparing the Perfect Legume Batter

In a bowl, mix the besan, rice flour, turmeric, red pepper, a pinch of asafoetida, and salt. Gradually adding water, knead a thick and smooth dough (it should not be too runny or too thick). Then add a pinch of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of hot oil, mixing well. (Adding hot oil makes the vadas very crispy on the outside and reduces oil absorption).

Heat oil well in a deep pan. Dip each potato and mint ball in the legume batter and carefully drop it into the hot oil. Maintaining medium heat, flip the vadas until golden and crispy. The finished Alu-Meti Batata Vada is served hot, along with fried hot peppers, red sauce made from dried garlic, and strong evening tea.

www.aajtak.inAugust 1, 07:22

Recipe for Crispy Pumpkin Tikki for Sawan Fasting Post: An Alternative to Potatoes During the Fast

During the month of Sawan, people typically abstain from onion, garlic, and meat, opting for simple food. However, even simple food can be made delicious. Since light food is customary during Sawan, pumpkin tikki can be prepared, which turns out to be very appetizing and easy to make.

In the holy month of Sawan, devotees observe a fast in honor of Lord Shiva. But eating the same dish every day can become boring. Although boiled potatoes are often eaten, during these days, you can try simple and tasty pumpkin tikki. Pumpkin is a light food, and adding cottage cheese (paneer) enriches it with protein. This dish will help keep you full for a long time while having a wonderful taste. It is important to note that this dish requires not much oil to prepare, and it is easy to make during the fast.

Here is a simple way to prepare pumpkin tikki that will be useful during the month of Sawan. First, the pumpkin should be thoroughly washed, peeled, and then grated. If there is too much water in the pumpkin, it needs to be lightly squeezed to remove excess moisture. This ensures better binding of the tikki and prevents them from falling apart when frying.

Next, the grated pumpkin and cottage cheese are mixed in a large bowl. To them, coriander seed powder (jeera powder), Sendha salt, grated ginger, and finely chopped green chili are added. Then, rajgira flour and singhada flour are incorporated into the mixture, stirring all ingredients thoroughly. The mass needs to be slightly pressed; if it holds its shape easily, it is ready for shaping the tikki. A little extra flour can be added if necessary.

After this, small balls are formed, and then they are shaped into tikki by hand. All the tikki are prepared this way. Then, a pan is heated and lightly greased with ghee. The ready tikki are placed on the pan and fried over medium heat on both sides until golden and crispy. When flipping the tikki, care must be taken to ensure they do not fall apart.

When the pumpkin tikki become nicely golden and crispy on both sides, they are placed on a plate. They can be served hot with green fasting chutney, yogurt, or any other favorite vegetarian chutney. These tikki, made from pumpkin, cottage cheese, rajgira flour, and singhada flour, are not only tasty but also quite filling. If you want something unusual and delicious during the Sawan fast, this recipe can be an excellent choice.