Baked Batata Vada

Seeing Batata Vada recipes and pictures showing up on my facebook feed inspired me to try and do a version that is baked not fried.  I made a commitment 3 years ago that I would not deep fry anything unless I had a compelling reason to do so. Whenever I deep fried I was left with a lot of oil that I just had to throw out after a while.  I made this commitment to reduce waste and to push me to find healthy alternatives in my kitchen.
I embarked on this quest using my mother's recipe for potato bhaji and holding my breath to see what I would end up with. The final product made me glad I tried this alternative.  No mess, no fuss and an easy cleanup !
 If you prefer to deep fry, simply follow the recipe and deep fry in the final step.

Ingredients

For the Bhaji (my mother's recipe)
4 medium potatoes, ( peeled and diced, and boiled)****
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion finely chopped ( about 1cup)
1 green chilly (seeded and chopped finely)
1 level teaspoon mustard seeds
1 level teaspoon jeera seeds 
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
juice of1 fresh lime
Fresh coriander for garnish (optional)

****To speed up the process I microwaved the diced and peeled potatoes in 2 tablespoons of water for 10 minutes in a microwave safe dish. It helps if the potatoes are well cooked and soft.

For the batter 
7 heaped tablespoons Besan or Gram flour
1/4 teaspoon of chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt to taste

Method

Heat the olive oil in a pan. When hot, add the mustard seeds and jeera and cook till they splutter.  Do let let them burn. Now add the onions and cook till translucent. 

When the onions are cooked throw in the green chillies, potatoes, salt and turmeric.  Cook by gently tossing with a spatula until well mixed and color is even. Add more salt if needed. Squeeze fresh lime juice into the bhaji. I used a whole lime, but you could taste after half a lime and adjust to taste.

Chop the coriander and sprinkle liberally on the top. Leave to cool.

When the bhaji has cooled.

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with kitchen oil.
Using your hands gently mash the mixture, leaving some chunky pieces for texture.
Form the mixture into balls.  I got about 10 balls.

Now put all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl. Add water a little at a time until a smooth, thick batter is formed.  It should not be too watery because you need it to coat the vadas.

Dip each ball into the batter until it is nicely coated and lay on the baking tray.  When finished , gently spray the battered balls with more cooking oil and put in the oven.  Allow to cook until nicely browned and firm, approximately 15 minutes.

Remove and serve hot as is or with a hot sauce or chutney.

Approximate nutrition value per batata vada
Calories 91.2/ total fat 1.5 gm/ Total carbs 16.7 gm/ protein 2.6 gm