Vegetable Bonda

Vegetable Bonda is a popular snack made with mixed vegetables which is then dipped in a gram flour (besan) batter and fried in oil. It is more like Aloo Bonda but with a lot of other vegetables in it. You can serve it as an evening snack with a cup of tea or as an appetizer. Serve it with coconut chutney.

Preparation time: 75 minutes

Yield: 16 

Spice level: 2.5 out of 5

Ingredients:

• Potatoes – 2 or 3 (big)
• Mixed vegetables – 2 cups (peas, carrots, beetroot, beans, cauliflower)
• Medium size onion – 1
• Green chilies – 3
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Finely chopped ginger – 1 tbsp
• Chili powder – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

For Batter:

• Besan (gram flour) – 1 cup
• Corn flour or rice flour – 3 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• A pinch of asafoetida
• A pinch of baking soda

Method of Preparation:

Boil or pressure cook potatoes, peel the skin, mash it and set it aside. While mashing do not mash it too much. Let there be a few lumps here and there.

Chop onion and all the vegetables into small pieces. Boil the vegetables (peas, carrots, beetroot, beans, cauliflower) with a cup of water. Cover and cook until they are fully cooked.

Drain the excess liquid and set it aside. In the same pan, heat a tbsp of oil and ad mustard seeds. When it splutters add cumin seeds and then onion.

Saute onions until translucent. Add finely chopped ginger and green chilies. Cook for a 2 – 3 minutes.

Add the cooked vegetables along and mash them. Add chili powder and salt, mix well and cook for 5 minutes or until the raw smell is gone. Add the mashed potatoes and mix everything well.

After a couple of minutes turn off the stove and let it cool.

Preparation of Batter and Bonda:

In a bowl mix all the ingredients required for making batter. Add water and make a thick batter with no lumps.

Heat oil for frying. Make small balls from the prepared vegetable mixture. Dip the balls one by one in the batter and drop it in oil. Turn both the sides and fry until golden.

Remove from oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat the procedure with the rest of the batter. Serve hot with coconut chutney or hot sauce or ketchup.