Homemade Wadas for a Rainy Day

They're spicy, they're crispy, they're tasty and they're everyone's go-to food in Mumbai... they're wadapavs! They're available at every corner (literally, just turn around and you'll see a gaadi or a small shop selling them). And the best part, they're extremely easy to make!

Wadas

Ingredients

6 medium sized potatoes boiled
3 green chillies
1/2 inch ginger
6-8 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp asafoetida
1 1/2 tsps turmeric
2 tbsps oil
Salt to taste

For the batter

1 cup gram flour
5-6 tbsps water
Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Pav to serve

Method

Mash the boiled potatoes. Make a paste in the mixer of the ginger, garlic and chillies.

Heat the oil in a kadhai and add in the asafoetida. Now add the turmeric powder and the paste of the ginger, garlic and chillies. Fry for 30 seconds in the oil till the garlic loses its raw smell. Add in the mashed potatoes, the salt and mix well. Lower the flame and let the mixture cook for 10-12 minutes on a low flame. Keep stirring every 2-3 minutes to prevent the mixture from burning at the bottom.

Prepare the batter by mixing the gram flour, salt and the water. The batter should be really thick, like the consistency of dosa batter.

Heat the oil for frying. Make balls of the potato mixture of around 2 inch diameter and flatten a little on the palm. Coat with the batter and fry in the hot oil till both sides turn reddish.

Serve hot in fresh soft pavs with green chutney and date and jaggery chutney. Go to the balcony or window and enjoy with the rains!

Enjoy hot in the cool rains!