Fonda Bondas

Regular readers of this blog know of my affection for Indian food. It’s the perfect food for us sorry suckers with multiple food allergies, particularly suited to those allergic to dairy, wheat, and eggs. Even the dishes that do call for dairy can usually be easily modified.

I have a goal of cooking every recipe in Julie Sahni’s Classic Indian Cooking. I’m almost there.

That cookbook is so phenomenal that I had to buy her next book, Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking. In the latter tome, she has a knockout bonda recipe.

What are bondas? Bondas are deep-fried potato dumplings. How could they not be good?

Follow along with me now and we’ll take the Magical Mystery Tour of Bonda-Making. You’ll see for yourself just how easy it really is (but it’ll be our little secret because I guarantee your friends and family will be totally impressed at your Indian-cooking prowess). For the exact recipe, you’ll have to get the book. This little tour is “just a guide!” as my father would say.

1. Mince up a bunch of herbs, like so:



Onion, black mustard, jalapeno, split yellow peas

2. Fry ’em up. Errr…I mean, saute the spices.



3. Toss a big russet spud into the microwave and bake with a bit of water in the bottom of the bowl so it doesn’t cook up all dry and tough (don’t tell Julie I did this–you’re supposed to boil it ’til soft). Then fry it in your spice mixture.



4. When the potato mixture is cool, roll out little spud balls like so:



5. Now you whip up a very easy spiced chickpea-rice flour batter and roll your little spud balls in the batter.



6. Next you drop the spud-batter-balls into some very hot oil, making sure there is plenty of space between balls. The ones shown here have been turned once.



7. Drain on paper towels for as long as you can stand it. Dig in.

I like to serve mine with a simple sheep yogurt sauce spiced with lemon juice, cumin, and cilantro. I also have some pineapple-mango chutney I made a couple of months ago lingering in the back of the fridge, which is nice. And, last but actually my favorite, American Tomato Chutney (a.k.a. catsup).

What are you looking at? Eat me!