Batata Varra (AKA Aloo Warra/Potato Fritter)

Ismail Mahomed shares how he makes Batata Varra (AKA Aloo Warra/Potato Fritter)

This ordinary Batata Varra, also sometimes referred to in local Indian restaurants as an Aloo Warra, gets a whole new twist.

A Batata Varra (Potato Fritter) is a popular street food in India. It is made from frying balls of freshly mashed potatoes that are flavoured and then coated in a chickpea flour paste. The snack is often served with a coriander sauce.

A flavourant is made by frying some garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, cumin, green chilli & curry leaves in little bit of oil. This flavourant is added to the mashed potatoes before it is rolled into little golf-sized balls and fried.

I added some coriander & chives to the mashed potatoes as well before rolling the flavoured mash into little balls and then left it to chill in the fridge for about ten minutes whilst I made a soft paste with chickpea flour and water.

The chilled mashed balls were then dipped into the chickpea paste and coated in panko crumbs before being deep fried. The added crispness of the panko take a Batata Varra to a whole new level.

I serve my Panko-Batata Varra with a yoghurt, honey and green pesto sauce.