🥔 Aloo Vada Recipe

Learn to make perfect aloo vada - crispy potato fritters just like Mumbai street stalls. Easy recipe with step-by-step tips for Diwali treats.

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 30

Total Time 32

Ingredients

▢ 1 litre high smoke point oil for deep frying

For the Batter

▢ 25 g gram flour besan/chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour
▢ 1 tablespoon rice flour
▢ 1 pinch turmeric powder
▢ 1 pinch red chilli powder
▢ fine sea salt to taste
▢ 3 ½ tablespoons water

Instructions

Boil the Potatoes

Boil 4 medium large potatoes in plenty of water over medium-high heat, until fork-tender. While the potatoes are boiling, set to work on the other tasks.

Make the Batter

Sieve 25 g gram flour and 1 tablespoon rice flour into a mixing bowl. Add 1 pinch turmeric powder, 1 pinch red chilli powder, and fine sea salt (to taste). Mix well.
Slowly add 3 ½ tablespoons water to the mixture, whisking as you go. The aim is to create a smooth, lump-free, flowing batter.
Set the batter aside to rest.

Make the Potato Filling

Once the potatoes have cooked, drain them and then cool. Peel the skins and roughly mash; we don't want a puree, so some texture is great.
In a small tadka pan, heat 1 tablespoon neutral oil over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Let them crackle and pop, at which stage add ⅛ teaspoon hing and 1 sprig fresh curry leaves (be careful, they can splutter in hot oil!).
Next, add 3 green chillies (finely chopped), and 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste . Let this cook until the raw smell fades and it becomes aromatic instead. Add ⅛ teaspoon turmeric powder, give a mix, and then turn off the heat.
Pour the tempering over the mashed potatoes and season with fine sea salt to taste. Squeeze over 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (to add brightness). Finally, add 1 small handful fresh coriander (finely chopped), and mix evenly through the potatoes.
Once the potato mixture is cool enough to handle, shape into small, evenly sized balls.

Fry the Aloo Vada

Preheat 1 litre high smoke point oil to 180℃ (356℉) in a large kadai, deep saucepan, or deep fat fryer.
Once the oil comes to temperature, carefully dip one of your potato balls in the batter. Coat fully, then carefully transfer to the oil. Repeat this process, but don't overcrowd your fryer, as this can cause the temperature to drop and the vada to stick to each other. Don't disturb the vada for a few minutes (it can break the batter), then begin to turn them to evenly brown.
When the aloo vada turn golden brown, use a frying spoon to carefully remove them from the pan, then drain any excess oil with kitchen tissue.
Repeat this process until all the aloo vada have been fried.

Notes

Can you air-fry or bake aloo vada? The short answer: No. Instead, I recommend using an appe pan or paniyarakkal pan (fun fact: Danish ebelskiver pans work just as well, if that’s more accessible in your area!). The pan is ideally shaped for confining the batter. If you buy non-stick or season your cast iron well, you can even make the recipe oil-free!