Aloo Bonda

Bonda is a fried Potato fritter very famous in Indian cuisine. Its enjoyed as a snack more often where potatoes are boiled, mashed and cooked with onions and spices, coated with a batter made with besan (Indian chickpea flour)  and deep fried. With this as the base, the number of spices and additional ingredients vary from region to region. In the North its known as Batata Vada . This is a South Indian version of the same. Its immensely simple and works great as an appetizer/snack.There are a lot of variations in making the potato stuffing. It is simple to make and delicious to eat.

To be honest I do not make any deep fry snack usually though both me and my hubby loves it . We have good friends here who make it for us as evening snack so I did not have to bother about it till now. But today I have little potato masala left which I had made for Aloo parathas. It usually turns as Aloo tikki but I thought why not a change and transformed it to Aloo bondas. Came good ! 

Serves 15 bondas

INGREDIENTS:

• Besan (Chicke pea flour/gram flour) - 1/2 cup
• Potato - 2 
• Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
• Ginger- an inch piece finely grated
• Garlic - 2 pods. finely grated
• Green chillies- 2 finely chopped
• Corainder leaves- finely chopped -1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tablespoon
• Red chilly powder -1 tablespoon
• Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
• Garam masala /chaat masala - 1 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds (Jeera)- 1 tablespoon
• Salt as needed

How to Prepare: 

Step 1: Microwave the potatoes with skin , for 5 minutes or till cooked. When it is warm to touch gently peel off the skin and mash it . 

Step 2 : Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadai and add jeera. Then add ginger and garlic finely grated . When it is cooked add the finely chopped onions and saute till it turns slight brownish. Add the mashed potatoes and mix well. Add 1/4 tablespoon turmeric powder , 1/2 tablespoon red chilly powder , 1 tablespoon coriander powder and 1/2 tablespoon chaat masala/ garam masala. Add salt as needed. When it is mixed well add coriander leaves and again mix well. Let it rest in the kadai for sometime. Take a spoonful in hand and make golf sized balls.

Step 3: Take 1/2 cup gram flour /besan and add a pinch of salt, 1.4 tablespoon turmeric powder, 1/2 tablespoon red chilly powder , 1 tablespon coriander powder , 1/2 tablespoon garam masala and water. Mix well with hands to bring it to a pouring consistency which is thick enough to coat the potato masala. 

Step 4: Heat oil . Dip the potato ball in the batter till it forms an even coating all over and immediately put it in the hot oil. Fry till it turns golden brown. 

Step 5 : Serve hot with tomato ketch up or chutney.