Vegetable Bonda

This a post has been sleeping in my drafts for a long time- a year and 2 months to be exact!I had clicked this when I had just began blogging and later I felt I could do with a better pic but I never got around to actually take a photo.Not that I don’t prepare this at home but because we finish it off even before I remember to take a picture.

Today when I was going through my draft section I saw the one that was long forgotten.So I made up my mind to post it today with the pic I had and later update it with a new one.This will give me a chance to prepare this dish for the pic sake and to take a better click that will do justice to the recipe.

Enough of the prologue and back to the point..

Bonda is a south Indian snack that is loved by all.Bonda and tea is a favorite combination for many.Mom prepares the best bonda ever.Well,don’t we all love mom’s cooking!

I had noted this recipe when my grandparents visited us long back[a year and 2 months ago!] to see lil angel when I was staying at mom’s place for a few days.I made mom sit with me and ‘dictate’ the recipe so that I could prepare it just like her when I came back to China.

Though I prepared it after coming here, we were all eager to take a bite that even before I could locate the camera most of them would have disappeared!So delicious is this recipe.

Mom used:

Besan/Begal gram flour- 2 cups
Rice flour- 1 cup
Red chilli powder-2 teaspoons
Asafoetida- a pinch
Salt to taste

Potato-4 boiled and mashed
Onion-2 chopped
Peas- 1/2 cup boiled
Carrot- 1 grated
Fried cashews- few ,broken into bits
Chilli powder- 1/2 a teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Curry leaves- a few
Coriander leaves-1 tablespoon,finely chopped
Mustard- 1 teaspoon
Gram dhal-1 teaspoon
Urad dhal- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida – a pinch

Oil to deep fry

1. In a bowl put in the ingredients for batter, add water and make a batter which can coat a spoon.It must not be too watery or too thick.Keep aside.
2. Heat a little oil in a pan and add the seasonings[mustard,gram dhal,urad dhal,curry leaves] and when they splutter and turn brown, add onions and fry till golden brown.
3. Add grated carrots and saute till raw smell disappears.Add mashed potatoes,peas,curry leaves,coriander leaves,salt ,chilli powder and mix well.Cook for a couple of minutes ans remove from flame.Keep aside.
4. When it is cool enough to handle,make small balls of the vegetable mixture and dip them into the batter coating so that the vegetable ball is fully coated with the batter.Remove the excess batter by draining it off the side of the vessel.
5. Carefully drop them one by one into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown.
6. Drain on absorbent paper and serve hot with coconut chutney.

Don’t judge the taste by this pic for it does not do justice to the dish.Try it and am sure you will be impressed.

The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated[,say one day ahead].If you have guests coming over,then all you need to do make the batter and prepare these delicious ,crispy snacks in minutes and serve them piping hot with Tea/Coffee!

Happy cooking…