Aloo Bonda Recipe | Potato Bonda

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Aloo Bonda happens to be one of our 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 (besan) batter and deep-fried to perfection. The ingredient list may be a bit long, but the Aloo Bonda Recipe is not that difficult to make. It is also not just a filling vegetarian dish but also is vegan-friendly.

aloo bonda on a white plate with a small bowl of green chutney kept on the top side with text layovers.

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.

Step-by-Step Guide

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.

mashed boiled potatoes in a bowl for aloo bonda recipe.

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.

frying mustard seeds and urad dal in hot oil in a pan for aloo bonda recipe.

3. Add about ⅓ cup finely chopped onions and sauté until they are translucent and softened.

finely chopped onion added and sautéed.

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.

ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and finely chopped green chilies added to the pan for aloo bonda recipe.

5. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) and stir.

turmeric powder and asafoetida added to the pan.

6. Next, add 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and salt as required and stir.

chopped coriander leaves and salt added to the pan.

7. Add the sautéed mixture to the mashed potatoes in the bowl.

sautéed mixture added to mashed potatoes for aloo bonda recipe.

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.

adding lemon juice to the spiced mashed potato mixture for aloo bonda recipe.

9. Make small to medium sized balls from this mixture. I usually lightly flatten these balls for ease of frying.

medium size balls made from spiced potato mixture for aloo bonda recipe.

Make Batter

10. 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.

gram flour, rice flour, spice powders, baking soda and salt added to another mixing bowl for making batter.

11. Mix very well and make a thick flowing batter, by adding ⅓ to ½ cup water or as needed.

ingredients mixed with sufficient water to make thick flowing batter.

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.

frying aloo bonda in 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.

fried aloo bonda placed on kitchen paper towel.

14. Serve Aloo Bonda hot or warm with Coconut Chutney or Coriander Chutney or mint chutney.

potato bonda served on a white plate with a small bowl of green chutney kept on the top side with text layovers.

Expert Tips

  1. 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.
  2. You can easily make this recipe without adding any onion or garlic to it. In this case opt to add finely chopped ginger or ginger paste.
  3. After cooking the potato mixture, if you feel there’s still moisture in it, then cook further for a few more minutes.
  4. Seasonings, spice powders and lemon juice can be adjusted in the potato mixture, according to your taste preferences.
  5. Make a thick batter as a thin batter won’t coat and cover the potato balls nicely. This will result in the potato mixture separating and falling in the hot oil making a mess.
  6. Once you have shaped the potato mixture into small or medium balls, you can flatten them too before dipping in the batter. This makes it easier to fry them.
  7. Remember to fry the bonda in moderately hot oil. A warm oil will make the bondas soak too much of oil and an extremely hot oil, will brown the outer batter layer leaving it partly uncooked.

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.

More Fried Snacks Recipes To Try!

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aloo bonda on a white plate.

Aloo Bonda Recipe | Potato Bonda

Aloo Bonda also referred to as Potato Bonda is tasty snack from the South Indian cuisine. It is made with spiced mashed potatoes, that is formed into a ball, covered in a gram flour (besan) & rice flour batter and deep-fried to perfection.
4.79 from 14 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Cuisine South Indian
Course Snacks
Diet Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 4
Units

Ingredients

For Batter

  • 1 cup besan (gram flour) swap with chickpea flour instead
  • 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 according to taste

For Potato Stuffing

  • 4 to 5 potatoes – medium-sized, boiled and mashed
  • cup onions – finely chopped
  • 1 or 2 green chilies, finely chopped or 1 to 1.5 teaspoon
  • 12 to 15 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoon coriander leaves – chopped
  • 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, optional
  • 1 or 1.5 teaspoon urad dal (spilt and husked black gram)
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoon oil
  • salt according to taste

Other ingredient

  • oil for deep frying, as required

Instructions
 

Making Potato Stuffing

  • First boil the potatoes in a pan or steamer or a stovetop pressure cooker adding water as needed.
    Later peel and mash them when still warm.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
  • Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal become golden in color.
  • Next add the finely chopped onions and sauté until they are translucent and softened.
  • Now add the ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and green chilies. Saute for a minute.
  • Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida and stir to mix. Next add the coriander leaves and stir again.
  • Add the mashed potatoes to this mixture or add this sautéed mixture to the potatoes. Stir to combine thoroughly.
  • If there is moisture, then you can sauté the potato stuffing mixture for a few minutes in a pan.
  • Add lemon juice & salt. Mix well.
  • Check the seasonings and add more salt or lemon juice if required.
  • Make medium sized balls from this mixture. You can slightly flatten them if you prefer.

Making Batter

  • In a mixing bowl take the gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida, salt and baking soda.
  • Add water as needed. Mix with a small wired whisk to create a thick flowing batter without lumps.

Frying Aloo Bonda

  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or pan. Keep the heat to medium.
  • Dip each potato ball in the batter and coat it well with the batter.
  • Gently and carefully place the batter coated potato balls in the medium hot oil.
  • Fry until golden on both sides. Drain them on paper towels to remove excess oil. Continue to fry the remaining potato bonda in batches.
  • Serve Aloo Bonda hot or warm with coconut chutney or green coriander chutney or mint chutney.

Notes

  • Seasonings, spice powders and lemon juice can be adjusted in the potato mixture, according to your taste preferences.
  • Ensure to add water as required to make a thick batter as a thin batter won’t coat the potato balls nicely. This will lead to the potato mixture separating and falling in the hot oil, causing a lot of spluttering and make a mess in the oil. 
  • You can easily make this recipe without adding any onion or garlic to it. Simply add finely chopped ginger or ginger paste.
  • 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.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Aloo Bonda Recipe | Potato Bonda
Amount Per Serving
Calories 474 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 12g
Sodium 801mg35%
Potassium 1202mg34%
Carbohydrates 69g23%
Fiber 11g46%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 220IU4%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.3mg20%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.1mg6%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 38mg190%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin C 108mg131%
Vitamin E 6mg40%
Vitamin K 9µg9%
Calcium 65mg7%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 522µg131%
Iron 4mg22%
Magnesium 109mg27%
Phosphorus 240mg24%
Zinc 2mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Aloo Bonda Recipe from the archives was first published on April 2014. It has been updated and republished on April 2024.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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26 Comments

  1. Looks yummy and delecious will definitely try in the rainy weather in London5 stars

  2. 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 thanks4 stars

    1. 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.

  3. 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.4 stars

  4. recipes are good but we cannot open it in multiple tabs thats the worst part…earlier it was good..5 stars

    1. 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.

  5. Hey dassana loved dis recipe
    They come out so well
    I just love ur blog!!!!

    1. thanks sukriti for sharing positive feedback on recipes. glad to know this.

  6. 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:-)5 stars

    1. welcome archana. thanks for sharing positive feedback on aloo bonda and for your blessings.

    1. thanks L Srivathsan for inquiring. no book as of now. but may in future.

  7. I found very interesting recipes here…
    I have tried many of them
    It has come up good..
    Thanks veg recipes 5 stars

  8. 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,5 stars