Potato Dahi Wada

Photo by Dr Sivananda Nyayapathi

4 Russet or Idaho medium size potatoes

4 Cups water

4 Slices white bread (crusts removed)

2 Tablespoons milk

1 Teaspoon salt or to taste

½ Teaspoon ground red pepper

½ Teaspoon curry powder

½ Teaspoon coriander powder

½ Teaspoon cumin powder

½ Teaspoon ground black pepper

2 Green chilies chopped

2 Tablespoons of chopped onion

Cut potatoes into four pieces each, with skin on, and rinse. Pour water into four- quart saucepan. Add potatoes and boil them on high heat for fifteen minutes or until the potato pieces are soft. Drain the potatoes into a colander and run cold water over them to stop cooking. Remove skins. Place the potato pieces in a bowl. Add bread pieces, milk and rest of the ingredients and mash altogether. Shape the potato dough into golf size balls. Flatten the balls to three-inch wide patties. If the potato dough is too thin to make to make patties, mix in a few more bread slices.

Batter:

In a small wide bowl mix one-cup gram flour, (besan) ½ a cup cornstarch, ½ a teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon red pepper and ½ a teaspoon ground black pepper with  half cup of water.

Heat a flat griddle on medium low heat and smear it with a ½ teaspoon of oil.  Dip the potato patties in the batter one at a time and transfer them onto the hot griddle. Roast them until light brown on both sides. Repeat until all the patties are done. Arrange them on a platter.

 For dahi sauce (yogurt):

In a bowl mix 2 cups dahi, ½ teaspoon salt and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of turmeric on top.

Tadka (tempering)

2 Teaspoons oil

½ Teaspoon red mustard seeds

½ Teaspoon urad dal

One dry red chili

One stem curry leaves (remove leaves from the stem)

One chopped green chili

One inch chopped fresh ginger

One tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Heat oil in a small pan and fry mustard seeds, urad dal, and red chili until urad dal becomes light brown. Add curry leaves, green chilies, and ginger. Fry for ten seconds and add this to the yogurt.  Add half of coriander leaves and mix. Garnish with rest of the coriander leaves.

 To serve: Put two potato patties in a plate and serve with yogurt sauce just before eating. Samosa chutney and chat masala can be used if they are readily available.

 Note: Holes can be made in the middle of potato patties, but they might be clogged when dipped in the batter.