Hi Supermoms,
Monsoon season among many things means “Pakora season” too!
Hot cup of Chai with steaming Bajji or Pakora or Bonda during rainy season is a ritual to be enjoyed. Well at our place, the monsoon season lasts the whole year. I meant the Pakora part 😊😊. I make them at least once a week.
While Pakoras and Bajjis are popular and are made with so many kinds of vegetables, Bonda is typically Aloo/potato based. Aloo Bonda or Batata Vada is a favourite for most of us. Whenever I would make Aloo Bonda, Raghu would not forget to mention about “Vegetable Bonda”. I have heard from him so many times about how amazing it tastes at Taj Mahal Hotel in Hyderabad. Taj Mahal Hotels are a chain of Udupi restaurants across Hyderabad & Secunderabad and is known for many trademark recipes, the Vegetable Bonda being one of them. In fact, we even went on a holiday to Hyderabad to enjoy the culinary delights of the city and this Bonda was on the list. I still remember, how each bite of the Bonda was so delicious. Another interesting fact about Vegetable Bonda is that, it sometimes makes it way in to breakfast menu at our weddings.
Coming back to this blog, finally I decided to make Vegetable Bonda and I am so happy to share that it passed the taste test. I have started making it regularly now, so much so that I have gained confidence to record the recipe video too and share it with you. I guarantee you that it will delight your family too.
One important tip that I would like to share is that once you have made the filling, allow it to cool. Shape them into balls and refrigerate them for a few minutes before you fry them. . This step makes sure that the Bonda is less oily. You can even shape them a day ahead and keep it in the freezer compartment. You can simply make them in batches at your convenience and not worry about having to consume all of them at once.
Bonda with coconut chutney is a must try combo. It also goes well with tiffin Sambar. So go ahead and try this recipe for your family.
For the detailed recipe steps do watch my youtube video of Vegetable Bonda below 👇
Vegetable Bonda Recipe By Masterchefmom
Preparation time : 1/2 hour
Cooking time : 20 minutes
Serves : 4
1 cup = 250 ml cup
Ingredients :
For the bonda batter :
1 cup besan/gram flour
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
Pinch of asafoetida
Pinch of baking soda
Salt to taste
For the vegetable masala stuffing :
1 tsp oil
1 tsp ginger garlic paste( you can use freshly grated ginger and garlic for more flavour)
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies
1/4 cup onions (finely chopped)
1/4 cup beans (finely chopped)
1/4 cup carrot (finely chopped)
10-12 cashew nuts
3 large potatoes ( boiled and mashed)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1.5 tsp sambar powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1-2 tsp lemon juice
handful of cilantro ( finely chopped)
1 sprig curry leaves
salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method:
Firstly, let's make the filling.
1. Heat a kadai/pan with oil and temper with jeera/cumin seeds.
2. Add green chillies, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and allow it to fry for a few seconds.
3. Add cashew nuts, onions, salt and mix well.
4. Now add the chopped beans and carrot.
5. Add 1-2 tablespoons water, sambar powder , cover and allow the beans to cook for a few minutes.
6. Now add the cooked and mashed potatoes.
7. Cook over low flame for one to two minutes or till the time the excess water is absorbed and switch off.
8. Add lemon juice, mix and garnish with coriander leaves.
Chef tip : Allow the mixture to cool completely. Do watch my recipe video for additional cooking tips.
9. Shape them into medium size balls. You can place them in refrigerator while we prepare the bonda batter.
Let's prepare the bonda batter .
1. To a wide bowl, add besan/gram flour, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida, salt and mix well.
2. Add water, little at a time to make a batter that is not too thick or thin.
Chef tip: It should be like idli batter. Make sure that there are no lumps and the batter is silky smooth.
3. Add baking soda and mix.
Your batter is now ready.
Let's fry the vegetable bonda
1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadai or pan.
2. When the oil reaches the right temperature, dip a bonda filling ball into the batter to coat it completely and gently drop it into the oil.
3. Repeat the same process for the remaining balls.
4. Let them fry uniformly on all sides.
5. Drain the vegetable bonda in a kitchen towel.
Your delicious bondas are ready for chai time. You can enjoy it as is or serve it along with a coconut chutney. So yum!
Do try it out for your family and share your feedback with me.
Happy Cooking!
With love,
Masterchefmom
