Bonda, a loved South Indian snack that can be made both savoury or sweet. I prefer mine as a savoury snack with a delectable chutney on the side. The general idea is to take a spiced potato mash and dip it in a gram flour batter which is then deep fried. In Kerala, we sometimes replace the potato with tapioca, sweet potato, egg, minced meat or some other ingredients. Just thinking about all these varieties makes my mouth water! Enjoy this classic bonda recipe on a rainy day – it’s so worth it 🙂

Time:

• Prep time – 20 minutes
• Cook time – 20 minutes

Ingredients: 

• Bengal gram flour (a.k.a garbanzo bean flour) – 1/2 kg
• Red Onions (Finely Chopped) – 2
• Potatoes (Boiled, Peeled and Mashed) – 1 kg
• Indian Green Chillies (Finely Chopped) – 4
• Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1 tsp
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Baking powder – a pinch
• Water – to make batter
• Salt to taste
• Oil

Method: 

1. Mix the flour with salt, Kashmiri chilli powder, baking powder, and asafoetida. Add some water and make a fairly thick, smooth batter. Set aside
2. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add the urad dal and mustard seeds.  When the mustard seeds start to sputter, add the green chillies and onions. Saute for a few minutes
3. Add the mashed potatoes and salt to taste. Combine well
4. After a couple of  minutes, turn the heat off
5. When it cools down to room temp, make small lime sized balls with the potato mixture. Dip them in the prepared gram flour batter and deep fry in hot oil till golden brown in color
6. Serve Warm and enjoy with chutney 🙂