The more the drizzle, the merrier the snack. Sunday morning ride to Morbe Dam and the temple perched atop a hill amidst Morbe’s dwellings offers a surreal sight, especially during the monsoon or peak winter. For me, it is by far the easiest, smoothest, and breeziest drive, perfect for fine-tuning my bike before embarking on a longer journey. It hardly takes me half an hour to reach Morbe from my house at Seawoods. This Sunday was unusual since we are at the tail end of June and Mumbai still lacks rain. The weather was muggy, but we managed to snap some good photos. Aside from that, the ride itself was a bit of a chore. The only bright spot was a delicious breakfast at Shivay Hotel, located at Chowk, the turning point towards Morbe Dam. Without question, we settled into our usual order – Missal Pao and piping hot Batata Vadas. That reminds me, I should share the classic recipe for Batata Vada with my subscribers. Vada is something I rarely cook at home since I prefer treating myself and guests to tasty finger foods like Vegetable Fritters and Cutlets, which also cater to my health-conscious friends who often complain about too many calories or oil (better to stay off the grid), especially for those friends. I have tasted Batata Vada at every popular food joint along the Mumbai-Pune highway, the Mumbai-Goa highway, and beyond. Even though I’ve shared the recipe before on my blog, check out this recipe and try it soon before the monsoon season ends. Happy cooking!
Ingredients:
Potatoes – 200 gm
Onion – 25 gm
Bengal gram flour – 100 gm
Soda bicarb – a pinch
Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies – 2 to 3
Garlic – 3 to 4 flakes
Coriander leaves – 1/2 bunch
Turmeric – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – to fry
Method:
1 ) Boil and peel potatoes, and chop.
2 ) Chop onion, ginger, green chillies, garlic and coriander leaves finely.
3 ) Heat a little oil and fry the chopped veggies.
4 ) Add potatoes, turmeric and salt. Mix well and remove from the flame. Divide the mixture into equal-sized balls. Set aside.
5 ) Prepare a batter by mixing flour ( sift before use ), soda bicarb and salt. Add water and make a thick batter.
6 ) Dip each ball in prepared batter and deep fry till light brown. Serve hot with desired chutney
Our favorite Missal at Shivay Hotel
All time favorite – Batata Vada served with dry garlic & coconut chutney and green chilli Thecha at Shree Samarth Missal, Khopoli.
Tastes equally good with a mix of Tomato Ketchup and Mint Chutney.
