Potato Bonda : an Easy to Make Snack Food

Potato Bonda or Potato Balls are an easy to make snack food which can be made in a very short time. Whenever some unexpected guests arrive, you can make this tasteful snack and surprise your guests.

Pressure Cook the Potatoes

Pressure cook five to six (about half a kilogram) of potatoes in a pressure cooker for about eight to ten minutes
Remove the cooker from stove and allow the pressure to come down to normal

Mash the Boiled Potatoes

Once pressure is normal, remove boiled potatoes from cooker
You can place the potatoes in cold water to rapidly cool them down
Remove skin and mash the potatoes with your finger without any lumps

Saute the Mashed Potatoes

You can prepare other ingredients when the potatoes are being pressure cooked

Chop two medium sized onion and keep aside
Chop five or six Green chilies (as per your taste) in to fine pieces
Place a frying pan over medium flame and add about a tablespoon of oil
Stir fry the chopped onions and Green chilies till raw smell disappears
Add salt to taste and the mashed potatoes to the pan and mix well
Remove the pan from stove and allow the potato mix to cool down

Make Batter

In another vessel, take the following ingredients

About half a cup of chickpea flour
One teaspoon of red chili powder
One teaspoon of cumin seed powder
One teaspoon of fennel seed powder
About half a teaspoon of Asafoetida powder
Salt to taste

Mix all these ingredients with water to form a thick batter

Now make about one inch size balls with the mashed potato mix and place them in the batter so that the potato balls are evenly covered with batter on all sides.
If the batter is very thick, add little water. If it is runny, add little amount of chickpea flour.

Deep Fry the Potato Balls

Heat enough cooking oil over medium flame
Once the oil is heated, add the coated potato balls one by one
Rotate the bonda with a ladle so that all sides are evenly cooked
When the outer surface of the Bondas turn golden brown remove from oil
Strain extra oil using a strainer

Serve this delicious snack food hot with coconut chutney and coffee