Name: Potato Bonda | Urulaikizhangu Bonda | Aloo Bonda
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 75 min
Ingredients: 4 Potato; 1 Onion (finely chopped); ½ inch Ginger; 3 Green chilies; Curry leaves; 1 tsp Mustard seeds; ½ tsp Cumin seeds; 1 tsp Ullutham paruppu / Urad dal; ½ tsp Turmeric powder; Salt; 1 tbsp Oil; Cilantro; ¾ cup Besan / chick pea flour / Kadalai maavu; ¼ cup Rice flour; ½ tsp Chili powder; Asafetida; ¼ tsp Baking soda; Salt; Water

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Traditional and easy snacks like this Potato Bonda or Aloo Bonda are always fresh in our memories. These Urulaikizhangu Bonda are so simple to make and so delicious that you will keep coming for more.

I still cannot believe that I have never made bonda before. In fact, it has been many years since I ate bonda. When I chose this month’s theme for BM, I decided that I would only do a non-Indian dish for the potato theme.

When I was going back and forth deciding the dishes I would be making, the Potato Bonda recipe thought kept pricking me. I just could not get past it before putting it down as a dish of choice. So here I am, happy and fulfilled after eating a plate full of delicious Aloo Bonda.

Since the theme was potato dishes, I made the filling exclusively potato. You could make your choice of filling with any vegetable along with the potatoes.

Potato makes it a hearty dish and is just so delightful. Next time I will be adding some carrots, peas, and beans along with potatoes when making the urulaikizhangu bonda.

Preparation time – 15 minutes
Cooking time – 1 hour
Difficulty level – easy

Ingredients to make Aloo Bonda – (makes 18 - 20)

For the filling

Potato – 4 medium
Onion – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Ginger – ½ inch piece
Green chilies – 3
Curry leaves – few
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Ullutham paruppu / Urad dal – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – 1 tablespoon plus more to deep fry
Cilantro – to garnish

For the covering /batter

Besan/chickpea flour / Kadalai maavu – ¾ cup
Rice flour – ¼ cup
Chili powder – ½ tsp
Asafetida – a pinch
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Salt – to taste
Water – as needed to make the batter

Procedure to make Potato Bonda –

To make the filling for Aloo Bonda –

Boil the potatoes. I usually do this in the microwave. Peel the skin and cut the potatoes into cubes. Sprinkle some water (about 3-4 tbsp) and cover with food-grade plastic wrap. Microwave for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are very soft. Using a fork, mash the potatoes and keep them aside. Make sure that you do not add too much water when cooking the potatoes since it will cause the filling to be on the wet side and it will be difficult to shape the bondas.

In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once the seeds crackle, add the urad dal, asafetida, curry leaves, green chilies, and ginger. Fry for about 30 seconds and then add the turmeric powder.

Add the chopped onions and fry until translucent. Now add the mashed potatoes along with the salt and mix well. Cook on low flame for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture thickens and comes together. Now add the cilantro and mix one more time. Take it off the flame and let it cool down to room temperature.

When the mixture cools down enough to handle, make small equal size balls out of them and place them on a plate.

To make the outer covering for Urulaikizhangu Bonda

Mix all the ingredients mentioned for the covering (except water) in a medium bowl.

Add water slowly to form a smooth thick batter. Make sure that the batter is on the thicker side.

To make the Aloo Bonda –

Heat the oil for deep frying in a deep bottom pan/kadai.

Place about 4-5 shaped potato balls inside the filling mixture. Turn around to coat it well. Carefully lift the coated balls and slide them into the hot oil. Repeat the same with the rest of the potato balls placed inside the batter. Depending on the size of the kadai you can have about 5 – 6 bondas at a time. Do not add any more than this as that would decrease the oil temperature.

Fry the bondas at medium temperature until they are golden brown.

Carefully remove the urulaikizhangu bonda from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined dish to drain the extra oil.

Repeat the same with the rest of the potato bonda balls.

Serve the aloo bonda hot with coconut chutney or hot sauce or ketchup!

More Potato-Based Recipes

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Potato Bonda | Urulaikizhangu Bonda | Aloo Bonda