Aloo Bonda happens to be one of my all-time favorite potato snacks. Hence, also referred to as potato bonda, it is nothing but super yummy snack of spiced mashed potatoes, formed into a ball, covered in a gram flour or chickpea flour (besan) batter and deep-fried to perfection. The ingredient list may be a bit long, but the Aloo Bonda Recipe is quite simple and easy to make. It is also not just a filling vegetarian dish but also is vegan-friendly.
Aloo bonda are the South Indian version of the popular Maharashtrian Batata vada. The difference between both these versions is the spices used in the mashed potato filling.
Also in the South Indian bonda, in the batter rice flour is added along with gram flour. Whereas in the Maharashtrian version, rice flour is usually not added to the batter.
In fact Indian regional cuisine is rich with many popular snacks. In North India Samosa, Kachori, Dahi vada etc are quite popular. Whereas in south India idli, masala dosa, medu vada, Mysore bonda etc are very popular.
You can serve aloo bonda hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup or coriander chutney or mint chutney. A cup of hot tea will also go well with them. I served these crisp hot snacks with coconut chutney.
To make a no onion no garlic version of bonda just skip the onion and garlic from this recipe.
How to make for Aloo Bonda
- First rinse 4 to 5 medium size potatoes in fresh water. Then boil the potatoes in stovetop pressure cooker or steamer or pot or Instant pot adding water as required.
When the potatoes become warm, peel and then mash them with a fork or potato masher.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard and 1 or 1.5 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and husked black gram).
Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and the urad dal to get golden.
3. Add 1 medium-sized finely chopped onion and saute them stirring often till they are translucent and get softened.
4. Now add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 or 2 finely chopped green chilies. Saute for a minute.
5. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and stir.
6. Now add 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves and salt according to taste. Stir and mix.
7. Add the potatoes to this mixture or add this sauteed mixture to the potatoes.
8. Stir and mix well. If there is moisture in the mashed potatoes, then you can cook the potato mixture for a few minutes.
Add ⅓ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice and mix well. Check the seasoning and add more salt or red chili powder 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.
Frying aloo bonda
10. In a mixing bowl take the following ingredients for making the batter
- 1 cup besan or gram flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ⅓ to ½ cup water or add as required
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch baking soda (optional)
- salt as required
11. Mix very well and make a thick flowing batter with all the ingredients.
12. Heat oil for deep frying aloo bonda in a kadai or pan. Once the oil becomes medium hot then dip each potato ball in the batter and coat it well with the batter. Add the batter coated potato balls in medium hot oil carefully.
13. Fry till golden on both sides. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
14. Serve aloo bonda hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup or any green chutney of your choice.
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Aloo Bonda
Ingredients
for aloo bonda batter
- 1 cup besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- ¼ cup Rice Flour
- ⅓ to ½ cup water or add as required
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 pinch baking soda (optional)
- salt as required
for stuffing
- 4 to 5 medium sized potatoes
- 1 medium sized onion – finely chopped
- 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 2 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice or as required
- 1 or 1.5 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and husked black gram)
- 1 to 1.5 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
other ingredients
- oil for deep or shallow frying
Instructions
making stuffing
- First boil the potatoes in a pan or steamer or pressure cooker. Then peel and mash them when still warm.
- Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard and urad dal.
- Allow the mustard seed to splutter and the urad dal to get golden.
- Add the chopped onion and saute till they are translucent and soften.
- Now add the ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
- Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and stir. Now add the coriander leaves and stir.
- Add the potatoes to this mixture or add this sauted mixture to the potatoes. Stir well.
- If there is moisture, then you can cook the potato mixture for a few minutes.
- Add lemon juice & salt. Mix well.
- Check the seasoning and add more salt or red chili powder or lemon juice if required.
- Make medium sized balls from this mixture.
batter
- Prepare a thick flowing batter with all the ingredients mentioned above in the ‘for aloo bonda batter’ list.
frying aloo bonda
- Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Dip each potato ball in the batter and coat it well with the batter.
- Add the batter coated potato balls in the medium hot oil.
- Fry till golden on both sides. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Serve aloo bonda hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.
Notes
- Seasonings, spice powders and lemon juice can be adjusted in the potato mixture, according to your taste preferences.
- You can easily make this recipe without adding any onion or garlic to it.
- Want to make spicier bondas? Then, add a few more green chilies in the potato mixture. If you want, you can also add some red chili powder in the potato mixture.
This Aloo Bonda post from the archives first published in March 2014 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Mmmmmm… that is just incredibly delicious!!!
Looks yummy and delecious will definitely try in the rainy weather in London
Looks and awesome recipe. Please could you clarify the following:
The recipe uses Urad Dal. When bought in a shop Natco brand it as Urid Split. These are lentils that are normally washed and boiled before use. Your recipe seems to suggest you fry the Urad Dal without any preparation. Do they need to be washed and boiled first?
Many thanks
thanks david. no need to boil them. if you want you can rinse them and then dry in a paper towel or a kitchen napkin and then add in the oil. you can even add directly.
U r a wonder dasannaji!!..ur website has indulged my interests in cooking..i always luk forward to ur new recipes and cooking tips..shud i make the batter more thick??..as the besan layer was not sticking to the potato rolls properly.
thanks a lot Prabha. you can make the batter more thick.
recipes are good but we cannot open it in multiple tabs thats the worst part…earlier it was good..
thanks anita. we have disabled the right click as a lot of copying and stealing is happened. there is nothing i can do about it. so for now we have removed the right click option.
Trying aloo bonda today…. Thanks for recipe
welcome and thankyou prakash 🙂
i just lov this blog. thanks for making cooking interesting and easier….
welcome shweta
Very authentic and tasty and simple
thanks drsheela
Hey dassana loved dis recipe
They come out so well
I just love ur blog!!!!
thanks sukriti for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know this.
Hi Dassana
Tried this Aloo Bonda today and it was sooooo yummm, all loved at home.
Thank u sooooo much for the detailed recipe. God bless you:-)
welcome archana. thanks for sharing positive feedback on aloo bonda and for your blessings.
Do you have any books on cooking which I can buy.
thanks L Srivathsan for inquiring. no book as of now. but may in future.
I found very interesting recipes here…
I have tried many of them
It has come up good..
Thanks veg recipes
welcome akshatha. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
thanks a lot for this wonderful recipe
welcome preeti
One day I think to making paneer. I have discussed to few persons, but I have not found right method to make paneer and then I click to veg recipies of india and found the best method to make paneer.
Thanks,
welcome 🙂