BONDA

‘Bonda’ is a tasty snack – with potato and besan as main ingredients. It is a popular tea-time snack. It has a pride of place in the menu of the tiffin the day before any South Indian marriage – there is a an old joke – the bride’s folks are indirectly hinting to the groom’s people with ‘Bonda’ – ‘Po(ga)nda’ – ‘don’t go’! Thankfully ‘P(o)akkoda’ (meaning ‘Go away’) is not in the menu on any post-marriage meal!

                                           

Ingredients

Besan (Gram flour) – nearly 1 cup

Dosa batter – 1 ½  tbsp  or  Rice flour – 1 tbsp & Baking soda – a pinch

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Salt to taste

For the filling -

Potatoes – 250 gms (3 medium sized ones)

Onion – 1-2 medium sized – sliced fine

Green chilli – 2 – finely chopped

Ginger – ½” piece – finely chopped

Tomato (optional) – 1- finely chopped

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Chana dal – 1 tsp

Asafetida – a pinch

Curry leaves – 10

Coriander leaves – chopped fine – 1 tbsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Filling

Boil the potatoes with turmeric powder and salt.

Peel and gently mash the potatoes.

Heat oil in a kadhai, add mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal and a pinch of asafetida. When they splutter, add the sliced onion and fry on medium heat with a little salt.

Add chopped ginger and green chilli and continue to fry till onions turn light brown.

Add a little turmeric powder, and curry leaves and fry for a minute.

If you are using tomatoes, add chopped tomato pieces and fry for another 2 minutes. Otherwise add 2 tbsps of water and cook till dry.

Add mashed potatoes and mix well.

Add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Make 8 round shaped balls.

Batter

Take besan in a vessel, add dosa batter, red chilli powder, salt, and asafetida. Add sufficient water to make a batter (without lumps) which is a bit thick.

Heat oil in a kadhai.

Dip each potato ball in the besan batter and carefully put it in the hot oil.

Keep the stove on medium heat and turn the vadas when the bottom portion has browned.

When evenly brown, drain off the oil and transfer the bondas onto a tissue paper.

Serve hot with coconut chutney / ketchup.

Tips

If you use dosa batter, the coating will be soft and fluffy and will not absorb much oil unlike the bondas made using besan with rice flour and baking soda.

If you are left with excess batter, you can make ‘bajji’ / pakodas.

Add garlic paste along with ginger - if you wish.

© Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.