South Indian aloo bonda recipe - Deep fried snack made with spiced potato balls from South Indian cuisine.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 25 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 7 · 7 bondas
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cup potatoes (or aloo (cubed) - 3 medium sized)
  • 1 small onion ((chopped or thinly sliced))
  • 1 ½ tbsps Oil
  • 1/8 tsp turmeric (or haldi)
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (chopped)
  • ¼ tsp mustard (seeds)
  • ¼ tsp jeera (or cumin)
  • 1 tsp urad dal ((skinned black lentils))
  • ½ tsp ginger (grated)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 2 green chilies ((slit or chopped))
  • ¼ tsp coriander powder
  • 2 pinches saunf (or sompu or fennel seeds crushed (optional))
  • ¼ tsp garam masala ((optional))
  • Salt (to taste)
  • lemon juice (optional)
  • 2 tbsp coriander leaves (optional)
  • ½ cup besan (or chickpea flour (1 tbsp more if needed))
  • 2 to 3 tbsp rice flour ((1 tbsp more if needed))
  • water (as needed)
  • Salt (to taste)
  • 2 pinches chili powder (for color (optional))
  • 1 pinch turmeric (for color)
  • Oil (for deep frying)

Method

Preparation

  1. Steam or boil potatoes without making them mushy. You can boil in a pot or cooker.
  2. Pour oil to a hot pan. Add dal, mustard and cumin. Fry until the dal turns golden.
  3. Saute ginger just for 30 secs.
  4. Next add onions,salt, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them.
  5. When the onions turn golden, add the turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and saunf.
  6. Add potatoes and mash them a bit without making them mushy.
  7. Mix well. Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves.
  8. Cool this and make 6 to 8 balls.

Make Bonda Batter

  1. Add besan, rice flour, salt, chili powder and turmeric to a large mixing bowl.
  2. Pour enough water little by little and mix it well to make a batter that is neither too thin or nor too thick. The batter must be moderately thick and smooth.
  3. Beat the batter well.

How to Make Aloo Bonda

  1. Heat oil in a deep fry pan or kadai.
  2. When the oil is hot enough, do the heat test by dropping a drop of batter. It must raise in the oil slowly and should not sink or turn brown quickly.
  3. With the help of a tbsp dip each ball in the batter, swipe off the excess and drop in the hot oil.
  4. Each batch you can fry about 3 to 4 balls depending on the size of your pan and oil used.
  5. After a minute begin to stir and fry until golden.
  6. Repeat making all until all the balls are done.
  7. Drain the golden fried aloo bonda on to a kitchen tissue.
  8. Serve aloo bonda hot or warm with chai or chutney.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.