An excellent crispy and spicy dish made with thinly sliced potatoes and masala papads cooked together.
Batata Papad fry bhaaji is a very simple and easy to cook dish. Made with thinly sliced potatoes cooked with masala papads and spiced with red chilli powder, seasoned with ground fresh coconut etc., is fried until crisp. Batata means Potatoes in Hindi and Papads are thin, crisp Indian preparation which can also be described as cracker. They are typically made from flour or paste made from lentils, chickpeas, black gram (urad flour), rice or potato. This dish is typically a mix of potatoes and papads cooked together with spices. This is a dish that is popularly prepared in western states of India such as Gujarat, Rajasthan etc.
In certain parts of India, raw papads (dried but unroasted) are used in curries and vegetable preparations namely Papad ki Sabzi. Papads are also known as papadum or pappadam in Malayalam, happala in Kannada, appalam in Tamil, Papadum in Sinhala or appadum in Telugu. There are a variety of papads that one can make. They can flavour with an array of seasonings such as chilli (Chilli papad), cumin, garlic or black pepper (Masala papad). Papads are an important part of the Indian cuisine and the recipes vary from region to region and family to family.
The papad dough is shaped into a thin, round flatbread and then dried (traditionally in the sun), and can be cooked by deep frying, roasting over an open flame, toasting, or microwaving, depending on the desired texture. Papad may also contain rice, jackfruit, sabudana, etc. as main ingredients. To achieve different tastes, cracked black pepper, red chilli powder, asafoetida, cumin seeds, or sesame seeds are used as flavouring agents. In India, papads/ khakhras are generally eaten as an appetizer or snack.
Sometime it can also be eaten with various toppings such as chopped onions, chutney or dips and condiments. In India, potatoes are popularly known as Aloo or Batata in Hindi. It is one of the most sought after food item used in the Indian cuisine. There are an array of dishes that can be prepared with this tuber such as Aloo paratha, aloo bonda, jeera aloo, dum aloo, aloo gobi and many more. It is one of the most comfortable food items and can be cooked in various different ways such as mashed, boiled, baked, roasted or fried. Batata and papad is an excellent combo and makes a great dish.
Finely sliced potatoes cooked with papad turns crispy on the exterior side and soft inside. This recipe has very simple ingredients and mild flavours. It goes well with roti, chapatti or rice and dal. Potatoes also taste very well with other vegetables such as cauliflower, beans, cabbage etc. They can be combined with any veg or non-veg recipe.
To prepare this subtly spiced Batata papad fry bhaaji, firstly heat oil in a pan and when the oil is hot enough, add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add curry leaves, chopped onions and just sauté. Add thin sliced potatoes pieces and cook on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and mix well.
Cover with lid and cook for few minutes till the potatoes are transparent or half cooked. Add turmeric and chilli powder. Take masala lijjat papad and break them into pieces and add in the pan. Mix well, cover and cook on a slow flame.
Cook till the papads are dry and slightly crispy. Add some chopped tomatoes, 2 tsp ground coconut (optional). Mix and cook for another 3-4 minutes. The dish is ready to be served.
Tip: Add little salt while cooking the potatoes as masala papad contains salt, black pepper, hing etc.
To try making this dish, click on the below link to view the making of this humble and appetizing dish:
Apart from offering its wonderful taste, potatoes are also an excellent source of vitamins, manganese, potassium and copper. It acts as a good dietary fibre and contains antioxidant properties. Baked potatoes are extremely healthy and low in calories.
Do try this simple yet delicious recipe.
Enjoy Cooking!