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Alu Bondas with a cheesy centre

Alu Bondas are amazing little balls of South Indian deliciousness that you normally have for tiffin. They are similar but smaller than the West Indian Batata Wada and normally do not contain garlic. They are served with coconut chutney but my mother used to like having them with Ketchup. I am not a big fan of Ketchup, so I’d normally substitute that with spicy lemon or mango pickle (South Indian style). In this version of the recipe, I have added a little fusion twist of a smoky, cheesy centre. Of course, you can skip this if you prefer to have the more traditional version. If you’re avoiding fried snacks, you can make this in the air-fryer with a bit of care.
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Ingredients
  

  • Potatoes to mash: 1 Kg 6-7 medium sized ones
  • Red Onions: 1-2 finely chopped
  • Green chillies optional, chopped fine: 1-2, deseeded if you don’t want it to be spicy
  • Mustard seed: 1 Tsp
  • Channa Dal: 1 Tbsp
  • Turmeric powder: 1 Tsp
  • Fresh coriander finely chopped: 3 Tbsp
  • Salt: To taste
  • Lemon juice: 3 Tbsp
  • Hard cheese cubed: 100 gms (I use smoked cheddar and cube it to tiny 1/2 cm cubes)
  • Til or Sunflower oil: 1 Tbsp

Batter

  • Gram flour besan: 3 Cups, sieved
  • Chilly powder: 1 Tsp
  • Salt: To taste
  • Hing Asafoetida: 1/4 Tsp
  • Sparkling water
  • For Air-fryer version: Semolina: 1 Tbsp
  • Sunflower Oil for deep-frying or spraying/coating for air-fryer

Instructions
 

  • Pressure cook or boil the potatoes until well cooked. You can remove the skin if you like or mash well with the skin on. I prefer to leave the skin on as it has most of the nutrients. It’s easier to leave the skin on with new potatoes.
  • In a wok, heat 1 Tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the channa dal and green chillies
  • Add the chopped onions and fry until the onions turn brownish
  • Mix in turmeric powder and the mashed potato
  • Add salt and mix well, slowly starting from one end of the wok
  • Sprinkle in the chopped coriander leaves and remove from heat
  • Add lemon juice and mix well until the coriander and lemon juice are evenly mixed into the mash
  • When it’s cooler to touch, take a cube of cheese and a small amount of filling. Place the cheese at the centre of the filling and roll into a small ball (the size of a tennis ball).
  • Finish rolling all the filling into balls and keep aside
  • In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the batter with sparkling water. You can use plain water if you prefer, sparkling water makes it lighter. The batter should be thick but of pouring consistency.
  • For the air-fryer version, add in the semolina and mix
  • Deep-fried version:
  • Heat the oil in a deep wok
  • Drop the balls of filling into the batter and coat evenly
  • Place these gently in the hot oil and deep fry until golden brown
  • Drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with ketchup or sweet chilli sauce!
  • Air-fryer version:
  • Pre-heat the air-fryer at 350 degree F or 180 degree C
  • Line with parchment paper
  • Drop the balls of filling into the batter and coat evenly, they should have a thick covering
  • Place on the parchment paper in the air-fryer basket, making sure they do not touch each other
  • Brush/spray oil over each bonda
  • Cook for 6-7 minutes , turn over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until golden brown
  • Serve hot with a sauce of your preference. Try Sriracha sauce with it, delicious!
  • When you bite into the bondas, the secret cheesy centre comes to life 🙂