Spicy Potato Noodles (Bataka Sev)
Batata Sev is a crispy Indian snack made with potato and gram flour.The dough is seasoned with chili, turmeric, ajwain, and aromatic spices.It is pressed through a sev maker into thin strands and deep-fried until crisp.Potato gives the sev a delicate texture and distinctive savory flavor.Enjoy it as a snack or use it as a topping for Indian chaats.Homemade Batata Sev can be customized to your preferred thickness and spice level.
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1½ cups gram flour (besan)
- 1 tablespoon rice flour
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon ajwain (carom seeds)
- ½ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil or melted ghee
- 2–4 tablespoons water, as needed
- Oil, for deep frying
Instructions
Boil the Potatoes
- Wash the potatoes thoroughly and boil them until completely tender.Allow them to cool, peel them, and mash them very smoothly. Make sure there are no large lumps because they can clog the sev maker.
Prepare the Dough
- Add mashed potatoes to a large mixing bowl.Add gram flour, rice flour, red chili powder, turmeric powder, black pepper, ajwain, asafoetida, and salt.Add 1 tablespoon of oil or melted ghee and mix everything thoroughly
Make a Soft Dough
- Gradually add water and bring the mixture together into a soft, smooth dough.The dough should be softer than regular roti dough but should not be runny or sticky.Avoid adding too much water because an overly soft dough can make the sev difficult to press and may cause excessive oil absorption.
Rest the Dough
- Cover the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes.This allows the gram flour to absorb moisture and makes the dough easier to handle.
Prepare the Sev Maker
- Grease the inside of a sev maker lightly with oil.Use a fine-hole or medium-fine-hole sev plate depending on how thin you want your potato noodles.Fill the sev maker with a portion of dough and close it securely.
Heat the Oil
- Heat enough oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat.To test the temperature, drop a small piece of dough into the oil. It should rise steadily with bubbles but should not brown immediately.
Press the Sev into the Oil
- Hold the sev maker over the hot oil and press the handle steadily, moving in a circular motion to create long strands across the surface of the oil.Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry Until Crisp
- Fry the sev over medium heat until the bubbling decreases and the strands become crisp and lightly golden.Turn them gently once if needed.Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel or wire rack to drain excess oil.Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cool and Store
- Allow the Batata Sev to cool completely before breaking it into smaller pieces.For additional flavor, sprinkle a little chaat masala or cumin powder after cooling.Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Mash the potatoes very smoothly before mixing the dough.
- The dough should be soft enough to pass easily through the sev maker.
- Avoid making the dough excessively wet.
- A fine-hole plate produces thinner, crispier sev.
- Medium heat helps the sev cook evenly without burning.
- Do not overcrowd the frying pan.
- Allow the sev to cool completely before storing.
- Store in an airtight container to maintain its crunch.