I felt I just had to post this recipe as it's so versatile, great cold for snacks and you can put your own preferred combination of spices in it. I've made them a few times since the restaurant night, for meat eaters too and they're always the most popular item!
I went easy on the chillies, used half the amount and they were still quite spicy.
Potato Bondas
Batter
6 tablespoons chickpea flour (gram flour or besan)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of hing (asafetida)
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon chili powder
Water as needed
Bondas
Oil for deep frying
2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cooked, and mashed
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons shredded dried coconut
5-10 green Thai or serrano chilies, finely chopped
2 pinches of hing (asafetida)
2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon garam masala
juice of 1 lime
Handful of minced fresh coriander leaf
Mix all the batter ingredients together in a bowl, adding water a spoonful at a time until a thick paste forms.
Mix all the rest of the ingredients together and mold by hand into balls about the size of a golf ball.
Heat the oil for deep frying. When the oil is hot enough to cause a drop of the batter to sizzle and bubble rapidly, dip each ball of mixture in the batter and deep fry the bondas in 2-3 batches, turning regularly, for 5-10 minutes, or until golden brown all over. Drain on paper towels and serve hot or cold.
For convenience, the balls may instead be flattened out a bit and panfried, turning once.
Serve with Green coconut chutney.
Libby
I've never heard of 'hing' ? These look very fattening though
Kathy
Libby, not fattening if your fat is clean and hot. It's only mashed potatoes covered in gram flour batter. Another name for hing is Asafedita, available at most super markets, you can use it in place of onions.
Another name for hing is Asafedita, available at most super markets, you can use it in place of onions.