About Aloo Bonda
If you are well versed with the popular Maharashtrian Batata Vada, then this Aloo Bonda is the South Indian version of the same. ‘Aloo’ is your staple vegetable, potato and the word ‘bonda’ translates to a round fritter resembling a ball. Since the appearance of this dish looks like a ball, hence, the name. To make Aloo Bonda, first the potatoes are cooked and later mashed. To the mashed potatoes, a mix of sautéed onions, spices, herbs and seasonings are added. After thoroughly mixing the ingredients, medium-sized balls are made from the spiced potato mixture. These balls are coated in a gram flour batter which are then deep fried to a golden perfection. In the recipe I have included onions and garlic. You can make a no onion, no garlic version of the Aloo Bonda by just skipping these 2 ingredients from the recipe. Serve this potato bonda with an earthy coconut chutney, Tomato Chutney or coriander chutney. A cup of hot Ginger Tea will also go well with them. Aloo Bonda vs Batata Vada Although the Aloo Bonda Recipe has similarities in terms of texture, looks and mouth-feel, with the Batata Vada of the Maharashtrian cuisine, the major difference lies in the spices and herbs used in the mashed potato mixture. Also, in the South Indian bonda, rice flour along with gram flour is added in the batter. Whereas in the vada from Maharashtra, rice flour is usually not added in the batter.
How to make Aloo Bonda
Make Potato Stuffing
1. First boil 4 to 5 medium size potatoes. Then, peel and mash them while still warm. You could boil the potatoes in a stovetop pressure cooker, instant pot or in a pan on the stovetop adding water as needed. 2. Heat 1 to 1.5 tablespoons oil in a frying pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 or 1.5 teaspoons urad dal. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and the urad dal to turn golden on low to medium-low heat. 3. Add about ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and sauté until they are translucent and softened. 4. Now, add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 or 2 finely chopped green chilies. Sauté for a minute. 5. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and stir. 6. Next, add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and salt as required and stir. 7. Add the sautéed mixture to the mashed potatoes in the bowl. 8. Mix well. If there is moisture in the mashed potatoes, then you can sauté the potato mixture for a few minutes in the pan. Add ⅓ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice and mix well. Lemon juice is optional and can be omitted from the recipe. Check the seasonings and add more salt, or lemon juice, if required. 9. Make small to medium sized balls from this mixture. I usually lightly flatten these balls for ease of frying.
Make Batter
- Take 1 cup gram flour (besan), ¼ cup rice flour, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), 1 pinch baking soda and salt as required in another mixing bowl.
- Mix very well and make a thick flowing batter, by adding ⅓ to ½ cup water or as needed.
Make Aloo Bonda
12. Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Dip each potato ball in the batter and coat it well. Carefully add the batter coated potato balls to the medium hot oil. 13. When one side is light golden and the batter has firmed up, turn over gently with a slotted spoon and fry the other side. Fry the second side until light golden or golden. Continue to turn over as needed for an even golden color on both sides. Place the fried Aloo Bonda on kitchen paper towels to remove extra oil. Fry the remaining fritters in batches. 14. Serve Aloo Bonda hot or warm with Coconut Chutney or Coriander Chutney or mint chutney.
Expert Tips
Variations
There are many other variations of a bonda in South India that have other primary ingredients in them. For instance, apart from the Aloo Bonda, there are also bondas made with various other vegetables and tubers. Udupi cuisine of Karnataka is specially known for its variety of bondas. One of the loved variants is the Vegetable Bonda made with a mixture of cooked veggies like carrot, potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, capsicum and French beans. Some more fried snacks that are popular from the South Indian cuisine are Medu Vada, Maddur Vada, and Punugulu. The Bonda Recipe from Tamil Nadu and the Goli Baje from Karnataka are also variations of Bonda. Goli Baje is also known as Mangalore Bonda or Mangalore Bajji and is a famous street food. These are soft, spongy fritters made with all-purpose flour (maida), curd, coconut, spices and herbs. Thus, also referred to as the Maida Bonda. In this, basically there’s no stuffing mixture that gets covered with the batter. The entire mixture is dropped in hot oil as small round fritters and fried. Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Aloo Tikki Recipe (Indian Potato Patties) Aloo Pakora (Indian Potato Fritters) Potato Sandwich | Aloo Sandwich Aloo Chaat Recipe (Street Style) This Aloo Bonda Recipe from the archives was first published on April 2014. It has been updated and republished on April 2024.
