• 6-8 medium sized boiled potatoes.
  
• Pav ( A kind of bun, In India it is known as Pav) If pavs are not available, you can use any other bun. Pick the unsweetened and rough rolls.

• 1 small piece ginger.
  
• 4-5 flakes garlic.
  
• 4-5 (or more) green chilies.
  
• 1/2 cup cilantro/coriander leaves (chopped)

• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder.
  
• 8 -10 curry leaves.
  
• 2 teaspoon mustard seeds.
  
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida.
  
• 1 tbsp oil.

• 2 cups gram flour (besan)
  
• Approx 1 cup water.
  
• 1 tsp turmeric powder.
  
• 1 tsp chili powder(optional)
  
• salt to taste.
  
• oil for frying.
  

Method:

• Grind ginger, garlic and green chilies together into a paste.
  
• Peel and mash potatoes with a potato masher (or simply use hands).
• Do not mash completely. Let some small chunks remain.
  
• Add ginger, garlic and green chili paste, coriander leaves, and salt to the potatoes.
  
• Put 1 tbsp oil in a pan/kadai.
• Add mustard seeds.
• When they splutter, add turmeric powder and curry leaves. Pour this tempering over the mashed potatoes and mix gently.
  
• Make small balls of mashed potato mixture. (You can flatten the balls if you like)
  
• Add some salt, turmeric powder and chili powder to the gram flour.
• Add water gradually and keep mixing with a spoon or wire whisk.
• Remove lumps if any.
• The batter should not be too watery or too thick.
• If lifted by a spatula, it should flow in a ribbon like consistency.
  
• Heat some oil in a pan.
• To check if oil is heated enough, drop some batter in the oil.
• If the batter immediately floats on the surface of the oil, the oil is ready.
• Also make sure that the oil is not too hot. Else, the vadas turn dark from the outside before they are actually done from the inside.
  
• Now dip each ball in the batter, letting the excess batter drip off and slowly add to the hot oil.
• Do not overcrowd the pan, or the temperature of the oil reduces which in turn slows down the frying process.
• Like this, fry all the vadas until golden.
• Remove on a paper towel and drain.
• Batata Vadas are ready.
  
• For Vada Pav, split Pav keeping the base intact and spread garlic chutney or green chutney inside it.
• Place the vada in it. Serve hot.