Mumbai style Potato Fritters

4 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and coarsely mashed

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp turmeric pdr

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp grated garlic

1 green chili deseeded and chopped fine ( optional , you can skip it)

3 tbsp chopped onion

3 cilantro sprigs chopped

1 1/3 cup garbanzo bean flour/ Besan

1/4 tsp cumin pdr 

1/2 tsp salt for the batter

A little over 1 cup of water

Oil to deep fry

In a wide plate with your hands mix together the potatoes, salt, turmeric, ginger, garlic, onions, chili, cilantro until you have a sort of homogenous mixture.

Wash hands.

Then with slightly dampened hands divide the mix into equal parts of 25 portions.

Form each of these portions into smooth balls.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl whisk together the flour, cumin pdr, salt and if you like more heat you can add 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper powder to this batter.

Gradually add the water into the flour mix and blend till you get a batter that's only slightly thinner than pancake batter.

Now in a deep frying skillet or a small wok heat around 3 cups of oil.

Your oil is ready when you drop in a tiny dash of the batter and it puffs up and rises to the top.

Don't have the oil on super high heat. A mellow medium high will do for deep frying.

Now carefully one at a time dip the potato ball into the batter, coat and drop into the hot oil.

Wait for the batter to set on the first ball that's in the oil before dredging the second ball into the batter and dropping it into the oil.

I reccomend frying only two at a time so you can get an even result.

Use a slotted spoon to fry them.

Let the two balls fry for a few seconds before turning them over in the oil.

Your Vadas are ready when the intensity of the oil bubbles subside and the outer covering of the Vadas are firm to touch when you tap the slotted spoon over it.

And you have a nice golden exterior.

Remove them into a plate covered with draining paper towels.

Repeat the process with the remaining balls, frying them two at a time.

Serve them as warm as you can, sandwiched between two halves of an English muffin that's been smothered with the sweet tamarind sauce and sprinkled with the Chili Garlic Dry Chutney....