Aloo bonda/ Potato bonda/ Batata Vada

Aloo/ Potato a universal vegetable which is liked by almost everyone, regardless age & geography! It is used as vegetable in curries and consumed as main course. It goes well in deep fried snacks such as finger chips & bajjis/ pakoras. Here is one such evergreen Indian snack aloo bonda recipe which is a favorite evening snack of many. It can be a perfect stuffing in vada pav & burger too.

In this season of monsoon, we crave for spicy and fried snacks to munch all the time. I believe eating homemade fried snacks occasionally is good. The recipe and ingredients change person to person though basis process remains same. I am sharing my recipe here.

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves:12 – 16 medium bonda

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 6 (medium)

Onions – 2

Green peas – ¼ cup (optional), fresh or dried

Salt – 1.5 tsp, adjust to taste

Garam masala – ¼ tsp

Chat masala – ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp + ¼ tsp, adjust to taste

Tamarind powder – ¼ tsp (optional)

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Gram dal – 1 tsp

Green chilli – 1 (optional), I haven’t used here

Gram flour – ½ cup or little less

Rice flour/ Corn flour – 2-3 tbsp

Carom seeds/ ajwain – ¼ tsp

Asafoetida – 4 pinches

Turmeric powder – 1 pinch (optional)

Oil – 2 cups (for deep frying)

Method:

• Wash and cook whole potatoes in a pressure cooker with added water as required. Cook for 3-4 whistles. Once done, set aside until pressure releases.
• Cook green peas with little water. To do it, you can keep it (in a bowl) in the same pressure cooker in which potato is being cooked.
• When cooker is ready to open, takeout the cooked potatoes; peel them off and discard the skin. Mash potatoes and keep aside. Drain extra water from peas and add to the potato.
• Remove onions skin, wash and chop finely. Chop washed green chillies (if using) and curry leaves finely.
• Now, heat a pan. Prepare a seasoning of 2 tsp oil, cumin seeds, 2 pinches of asafoetida & gram dal. When dal turns to brown colour, add chopped onions, curry leaves and green chillies. Fry this for a while. Add about 1 tsp salt, tamarind powder, garam masala, chat masala, chilli powder.
• Now add mashed potatoes & peas. Mix everything well, switch off the heat. Set this aside and let it cool.
• Meanwhile, prepare batter of gram flour. Take about ¾ cup of water, dissolve asafoetida and ½ tsp salt. Add carom seeds and little chilli powder (optional), and turmeric powder.
• Now add gram flour and rice/ corn flour to make a batter of dosa batter consistency. Adjust flour or water as required.
• When this batter is ready, set aside. Make lemon sized balls of potato stuffing and keep on a plate.
• Keep a plate  or bowl with tissue paper/ kitchen towel spread on it.
• Keep oil in a thick bottomed frying pan/ kadai/ wok. Switch on the stove and keep on medium flame.
• When oil is ready, dip potato balls in gram flour batter and drop into the oil one by one carefully. Drop only few balls (say 6-8) at a time to cook properly. Stir & turn the balls occasionally (maintain medium flame).
• Fry until it is properly cooked, that is the hissing sound stops and bonda turns golden brown. When done, take out of oil draining oil as much as possible and transfer to the plate having tissue.
• Finish of all the potato balls by frying in batches.
• Serve hot & spicy bonda with strong cup of coffee or choice of tea.

Notes:

• You can add chopped other vegetables like carrot, beans, capsicum … with potato to make mixed vegetable bonda.
• Adjust the salt and spice level to your liking. You can leave chat masala & garam masala if you don’t like.
• You can add chopped fresh coriander.
•  Many variations possible to make.
• To check the readiness of oil (if it is hot enough), drop a bit of gram flour batter. If it comes & floats immediately, then the oil is ready to fry.