Aloo Bonda & Vankaya Bajjilu

Aloo Bonda & Vankaya Bajjilu

Ingredients:

For Batter:

• Gram Flour – 250gms
• Maida – 50gms
• Salt to Taste (1/4tsp+1/8tsp)
• Baking Soda – 1/4tsp
• Water – As Required (325gms)
• Oil - 2Tbsps (To Mix with Flours)
• Oil – For Frying Bondas

For Curry:

• Potatoes – 750gms
• Green Chilies 11
• Ginger – Small Piece
• Cumin Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/4tsp
• Asafoetida – A Pinch
• Curry Leaves – Few
• Chopped Coriander Leaves – 1Tbsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4tsp
• Salt – To Taste
• Oil – 21Tbsps
  
  
  Preparations:
  Wash potatoes and place them in a bowl. Add water till all the potatoes are submerged in water. Place this bowl in pressure cooker and cook the potatoes. After first whistle lower the flame and cook the potatoes for 10 to 12 minutes. When the pressure cooker cools down remove the bowl and peel the potatoes. Grind green chilies and ginger to a coarse paste in a mixer grinder. Finely chop the curry leaves.
  
  
  Method:
  Curry:
  Heat a pan and add oil to it. When oil is hot add mustard seeds and asafoetida and fry for few seconds. Then add cumin seeds, chopped curry leaves, ginger green chili paste, turmeric powder and salt. Mix & fry the seasoning well. Then add boiled & peeled potatoes and mix mashing with the ladle. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix again. The curry is ready to make bondas. Spread the curry in a plate to cool.
  
  
  Batter:
  Take gram flour, maida and salt into a mixing bowl and mix well with fingers. Add oil and rub with fingers to incorporate the oil into the flour. Add water slowly and mix to prepare batter of coating consistency. Make a smooth batter. Batter should be of coating consistency—when finger dipped in the batter & removed, batter should coat the finger evenly. Keep this batter aside for 30 minutes. 
  
  
  Making Aloo Bondas:
  Heat a pan and add sufficient oil to fry the bondas. Spread a paper napkin in a plate and keep it ready. After frying the bondas remove them on to this paper napkin to soak excess oil.  Just before frying add baking soda to the prepared batter and mix well. See that there are no lumps in the batter. 
  
  
  Wet fingers and take a portion of the curry into the palm. Form a ball of the taken curry portion. Similarly make balls from the prepared curry. Drop a ball into the batter and coat it evenly. Then carefully drop the batter coated curry ball into the oil and fry on medium heat. Turn the bondas and fry till they are evenly fried. Fry till the bondas turn golden in color. Then take out the bondas from oil with a slotted ladle and place them on the paper napkin which will soak the excess oil. Similarly fry all the bondas.  Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup. 
  
  
  Vankaya Bajjilu (Brinjal Fritters):
  To the leftover batter add some red chili powder, salt, cumin seeds, chopped coriander and mix well.
  Take a brinjal (Chutney Variety) and wash it. Slice the brinjal into even thickness pieces. Add the brinjal slices to the batter and coat them well with the batter. Now carefully drop the batter coated brinjal pieces into the hot oil and fry on medium heat. Turn and fry till the bajias are golden in color. Drain the bajias on to a paper napkin to soak excess oil. Serve hot with any chutney or ketchup. 
  
  
  Points To Note:
  Use salt and chilies according to taste.
  As soon as the pressure cooker cools down, remove the boiled potatoes from the cooker and drain all the water. If the boiled potatoes are kept for long time in the water they were cooked, they absorb some water and become mushy. So drain the water as soon as they are cooked.
  Cool the potato curry completely before making bondas.
  Make a smooth batter without any lumps. Just before frying bondas add baking soda and then mix thoroughly.
  
  
  To prepare curry balls first wet your palm with water—this will give a smooth textured ball. Observe and learn the technique of dropping the bondas in oil to avoid tear drop shaped batter droplets. Do not forget to drink two glasses of buttermilk after eating any fried things. Buttermilk eases the uneasiness caused after eating fried things. Eat limitedly and enjoy good health.
  
  Enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!