Masala vada, vegetable potato cakes recipe

By Meena Pathak and Sunil Menon

this Indian dish of Masala vada, or vegetable potato cakes, is delicious and perfect for vegetarians.

300g potatoes, peeled and diced
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the batter
125g chickpea or gram flour (gram flour is available in Tesco or health food stores)
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
Pinch of bicarbonate of soda
Vegetable oil, for deep frying

1. Put the potatoes in a pan of lightly salted water and bring to the boil for 12-15 minutes until cooked. Drain well and mash until smooth.
2. Mix in the ginger, garlic, chopped coriander and turmeric, and season according to taste.
3. In a frying pan, heat the oil on a medium heat setting and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to crackle, pour them over the spiced mashed potatoes and add the lemon juice. Mix well and divide into 12 balls. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile make the batter. Mix together the chickpea flour, turmeric and bicarbonate of soda. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt and about 300ml water and stir well to make a smooth, yet thick, batter.
5. Heat the oil in a large pan or deep-fat fryer to 190ºC or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Dip each potato cake in the batter and deep fry until golden brown in colour and crisp on the outside.
6. Remove from the oil, drain well on kitchen paper and serve hot with raita and Patak’s Lime Pickle.