This Potato Bonda or Aloo Bonda recipe I’m sharing with you today, is a delicious treat to serve as a snack or even an appetizer. Pair it either ketchup or a variety of chutneys on the side for some added zing. In India, these Bondas are also sandwiched between fresh, soft dinner rolls and sold as a very popular street food called Vada-Pav. Potato Bondas are essentially balls of seasoned mashed potato dipped in a spicy chickpea flour batter and deep fried to a crispy texture.
When it comes to cooking a fulfilling dinner on weeknights, my keyword, or should I say keywords, are QUICK and SIMPLE! I have many a times blogged on how much I love easy recipes that hardly take any of my time and effort and yet seem to please our over-demanding palates.
Truly, entering the kitchen at six in the evening after a long day at work doesn’t leave me even in the slightest mood to cook anything at all, let alone something fancy! But eat we must and that’s where I make use of my instincts. A little bit of this, a splash of that, and vola! dinner is on the table.
I always wonder why people look at cooking Indian food with such disdain. According to many people I’ve talked to, they all have the same thing to say – It takes a lot of time and so many ingredients to cook a traditional Indian meal. Well, all I can say is that you, my dear, are mistaken! Now, if you are one of those who thinks that the traditional Indian meal comprises of exotic and heavy dishes such as Briyani, Butter Chicken, Dal Makhani and Naans – well then, I think you need to invite yourself to an Indian home for a simple home-cooked everyday meal.
When it comes to food, we Indians know how to make a gala of the mere act of eating. But at the same time, we have our home-grown secrets of making a quick “Dal-Chawal” meal seem fit for a King, or Queen of course!
One look at my long list of recipes and you can easily see that many of them are simple to the touch. Don’t get me wrong, I love to cook. Infact, I am known to spend an entire day in the kitchen cooking for parties a day in advance. But sometimes, I just want to take it easy as well. And that is when I rely on my bunch tried and tested no-fuss recipes that never compromise on flavour.
Potato Bonda (Aloo Bonda)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp light cooking oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 4-5 fresh curry leaves
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp amchur powder
- salt to taste
- 2-3 medium-sized potatoes boiled and mashed
- fresh coriander leaves finely chopped for garnish
- 1 cup chickpea flour, also known as besan
- water as needed
- light cooking oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Saute mustard seeds and curry leaves in hot oil, in a large skillet until they start to sizzle. Add in chopped onions and fry for a minute or two until soft and lightly brown.
- Add in spices and salt, and fry for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add in mashed potato and mix everything well. Add in fresh coriander leaves and mix again. Set aside to cool for a bit, until it is easy to handle by hand.
- In a large bowl, add in chickpea flour and a pinch of salt. Slowly add in water and whisk to form a thick, pancake-like batter.
- Heat enough oil in a deep wok for deep frying. Divide the cooled potato filling into golf ball sized portions.
- Gently coat each potato ball into the chickpea batter and carefully add it into the hot oil in batches. Try and not crowd the wok by adding too many at a time.
- Deep fry for 6-8 minutes on medium heat, turning them over to ensure that they brown and cook on all sides. Once the fritters are golden brown and crisp, remove them on paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
Serve warm with Tamarind or Mint-Coriander chutney, or even ketchup on the side.
If you enjoyed this recipe, then you will surely love my Onion Pakora (Onion Fritters) and Palak Pakoras (Spinach Fritters) recipe as well.
Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
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