Aloo bonda also known as potato bonda is a popular South Indian snack and a street food. Aloo translates to potato and bonda to a ball shaped fritter. So aloo bonda literally translates to bondas that are stuffed with potatoes. These are a South Indian version of the popular Maharashtrian snack Batata vada.
Aloo bonda are served in almost all tiffin centers and restaurants in Karnataka for the evening Tea time snack. These originated in the Udupi hotels and eventually became one of the most common on all restaurant menus since they are loved by many.
Goli baje, Vegetable bonda, Crispy mysore bonda, Andhra punugulu and egg bonda are similar other bonda recipes on the blog.
To make aloo bonda, first boiled potatoes are seasoned and spiced. Then dipped in gram flour batter and deep fried to golden. These are very good to make on weekends or during festivals or when you have guests home.
Usually aloo bonda is made simple just with aloo and onions, but some restaurants alsomake with capsicum and peas. These are served with coconut chutney, tomato chutney or with masala tea.
Pro Tips
- The consistency of the batter is very important. If the batter turns thin, the batter will stick up to the bottom of the kadai and distort the shape of the aloo bonda.
- The oil has to be enough hot to cook the batter in the shape of the ball. If the ball is dropped when the oil is at low temperature than required, then the bonda will not hold round shape, instead they turn out flat.
- Avoid disturbing the aloo bondas for a minute when you drop them in the hot oil.
- Making perfect shaped aloo bonda comes out of practice.
How to make Aloo Bonda (Stepwise Photos)
1. Boil or steam potatoes till just done. Do not cook them until soggy.
2. Add oil to a hot pan and add mustard, cumin and urad dal. Saute until the dal turns lightly golden.
3. Add hing and ginger. Stir it.
4. Add onions, curry leaves and green chilies. Sprinkle salt.
5. Fry until the onions turn golden. Add coriander powder, turmeric, saunf powder and garam masala (optional).
6. Add potatoes.
7. Mash them and add lemon juice.
8. Saute until everything is just well combined. Add coriander leaves if you have. Taste the mixture and make sure there is enough salt in it.
9. Cool the mixture and divide to 6 to 7 balls. You can even make 8 if you want smaller ones.
10. Begin to heat up oil in a kadai. Add besan, rice flour, chili powder, turmeric and salt to a bowl.
11. Add enough water and make a thick batter. I used about half cup and 1 tbsp.
12. Make a thick and smooth batter. If the batter is runny then you may add more flours and mix. Taste this as well. It has to be slightly salty.
13. When the oil turns hot, do the heat test to check if the oil is hot enough by dropping a tiny amount of batter in the oil. Firstly, the batter must raise slowly and should not sink. When it is ready drop each ball in this batter.
14. Coat it well with the batter.
15. Drop in the hot oil. Stir gently after a minute and fry until golden.
16. Drain on to a kitchen tissue.
Serve aloo bonda hot or warm with chutney or masala chai.
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Recipe Card
Aloo Bonda Recipe
South Indian aloo bonda recipe – Deep fried snack made with spiced potato balls from South Indian cuisine.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time15 minutes minutes
Cook Time25 minutes minutes
Total Time40 minutes minutes
Servings7 bondas
AuthorSwasthi
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 ¼ cup potatoes or aloo (cubed) – 3 medium sized
- 1 small onion (chopped or thinly sliced)
- 1 ½ tbsps Oil
- 1/8 tsp turmeric or haldi
- 1 sprig curry leaves chopped
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp jeera or cumin
- 1 tsp urad dal (skinned black lentils)
- ½ tsp ginger grated
- Salt to taste
- 2 green chilies (slit or chopped)
- ¼ tsp coriander powder
- 2 pinches saunf or sompu or fennel seeds crushed (optional)
- ¼ tsp garam masala (optional)
- Salt to taste
- lemon juice optional
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves optional
Outer covering for aloo bonda
- ½ cup besan or chickpea flour (1 tbsp more if needed)
- 2 to 3 tbsp rice flour (1 tbsp more if needed)
- water as needed
- Salt to taste
- 2 pinches chili powder for color (optional)
- 1 pinch turmeric for color
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
Preparation
Steam or boil potatoes without making them mushy. You can boil in a pot or cooker.
Pour oil to a hot pan. Add dal, mustard and cumin. Fry until the dal turns golden.
Saute ginger just for 30 secs.
Next add onions,salt, curry leaves and green chilies. Fry them.
When the onions turn golden, add the turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and saunf.
Add potatoes and mash them a bit without making them mushy.
Mix well. Sprinkle lemon juice and coriander leaves.
Cool this and make 6 to 8 balls.
Make Bonda Batter
Add besan, rice flour, salt, chili powder and turmeric to a large mixing bowl.
Pour enough water little by little and mix it well to make a batter that is neither too thin or nor too thick. The batter must be moderately thick and smooth.
Beat the batter well.
How to Make Aloo Bonda
Heat oil in a deep fry pan or kadai.
When the oil is hot enough, do the heat test by dropping a drop of batter. It must raise in the oil slowly and should not sink or turn brown quickly.
With the help of a tbsp dip each ball in the batter, swipe off the excess and drop in the hot oil.
Each batch you can fry about 3 to 4 balls depending on the size of your pan and oil used.
After a minute begin to stir and fry until golden.
Repeat making all until all the balls are done.
Drain the golden fried aloo bonda on to a kitchen tissue.
Serve aloo bonda hot or warm with chai or chutney.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Aloo Bonda Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 156Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Sodium 309mg13%
Potassium 270mg8%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 125IU3%
Vitamin C 16.2mg20%
Calcium 27mg3%
Iron 2.1mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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