Aloo Bhonda

How to make Aloo Bhonda or Potato fritter or batata vada

This is a Maharashtrian beauty appreciated everywhere in India. Very famous and easy to make appetizer. If you go to Mumbai - a financial capitol of India people actually live on batata vada. Readily available, very tasty, filling and unimaginably inexpensive made this stuff running. This is usually enjoyed with bun bread but it just depends how you like to eat it.

Here is what we need -

Usually 1 big size potato will make 3 medium size (as in pic) vadas

• 2 big potatoes
• 2 green chilies
• cilantro
• 3 garlic cloves
• salt
• pinch of baking powder (optional)
• 1 small onion
• curry leaves
• 1/2 spoon lemon juice
• 4 tbs chick pea flour
• oil for deep frying
• 1 tbs oil for stuffing

Whats Next -

Boil potatoes in the pressure cooker. Take it out and set it to cool.

Fine chop onion. Make a paste of green chilies, cilantro and garlic. (You could just chop it but make sure you fine chop it)

In a pan take oil. once hot add curry leaves, onion, blended mixture. Give it a good mix and switch off the stove. The seasoning is ready.

In a bowl take a chick pea flour. Add water to make thick batter. It should be slightly thicker than pouring consistency. Add little salt and pinch of baking soda.

In a kadai/non stick pan take oil for frying. put it on a high heat.

Potatoes must have cooled down by now. Mash the potatoes and add the seasoning to it. Add salt and lemon juice. Mix it by hand and make lemon size balls.

check if oil is hot enough by dropping very little chick pea batter. If it comes up immediately it is hot enough.

Dip potato balls in the batter and drop it in the oil one by one very carefully. At a time you could fry 4 to 5 vadas depending on the size of the pan. Flip it to the other side and take it out once its slightly golden brown in color.

Serve with ketch up or chutney. yummmmmmm ..