Mysore Bonda also known as Mysore Bajji is a popular South Indian snack made with lentils, fresh herbs and vibrant spices. The ingredients are combined to create a thick batter, and are then deep fried to make crisp, soft and fluffy fritters.
First rinse the urad dal a couple of times in water. Then in a bowl soak the lentils in water for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.
Later drain all the water. In a mixer-grinder or blender add the lentils and water in parts. Grind or blend to a smooth and fluffy batter. First add 3 tablespoons water and then add more as required.
Using a silicon spatula take all of the batter in a bowl.
Whisk the batter briskly for a 2 to 3 minutes with a wired whisk or spoon. This helps in aerating the batter which makes the bonda fluffy and light.
Mix very well with rice flour, crushed black pepper, cumin seeds, chopped ginger and green chillies, asafoetida, chopped curry leaves, chopped coconut (optional) and salt as required.
Frying Mysore Bonda
Heat oil for deep frying in a kadai or fryer. Let the oil heat to a moderately hot temperature.
Using a tablespoon measure or any small to medium-sized spoon, pour the batter in a round shape into the hot oil.
When one side is lightly crisp and slightly golden, then turn over each bonda.
Continue to fry the second side until light golden and crisp.
Fry in medium hot oil till the bonda are crisp and golden turning them over as needed.
Remove with a slotted spoon and place them on kitchen paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Fry the remaining batches of bonda in a similar way.
Serve mysore bonda hot or warm with coconut chutney.
Making coconut chutney
In a small pan, first fry the curry leaves in 1 or 2 teaspoons oil till they get crisp.
Grind or blend all the ingredients mentioned under the coconut chutney list, together with the fried curry leaves and oil, with water.
Serve the coconut chutney with the mysore bonda.
Notes
Use urad dal that is fresh and not aged or old. Aged urad dal will take a lot of time while grinding or blending the batter and the bonda won't be nicely soft and fluffy.
Do not make the batter thin. The batter has to be thick but flowing. Thin batter makes for flat bonda and soak up a lot of oil.
Rice flour is optional and can be omitted. In case if the batter has a medium consistency, then add rice flour or finer rava (semolina or suji) to thicken it.
The spices, herbs and seasonings can be omitted or reduced according to your taste preferences.
This bonda recipe is made without onions. But you can add about ¼ cup chopped onions to the batter.
While frying, ensure that the oil is medium hot. Oil which is warm or not hot enough will make the bonda absorb a lot of oil. Oil which has become very hot, will make the mysore bonda quickly browned from outside with undercooked center.
Both the recipes of bonda and coconut chutney can be scaled to make a big batch for get togethers or parties.
Note that the approximate nutrition info is for 1 mysore bonda.