Low Calorie Aloo Bonda (Potato fritters) by DK on Jul 26, 2010
The Husband who used to scowl at eating snacks of any kind (except the super healthy types), has started "demanding" for evening snacks when he gets home from work in the recent months. And not any snacks - he needs the "fresh from the oven", "fried yet low calorie", "interesting stuff" etc etc. What intrigues me and leaves me flabbergasted is his request for "low calorie", "low fat" version of totally fried goodies and he demands that I make sure they dont taste like they are tinkered with! One of his recent demands was Bonda - all fried and crisp on the outside and soft inside - but low fat!
Bonda is a fried Potato fritter very famous in Indian cuisine. Its enjoyed as a snack more often where potatoes are boiled, mashed and cooked with onions and spices, coated with a batter made with besan (Indian chickpea flour) + rice flour and deep fried. With this as the base, the number of spices and additional ingredients vary from region to region. In the North its known as Batata Vada , which I already posted like ages ago. This is a South Indian version of the same. Its immensely simple and works great as an appetizer/snack.
I have tried baking but you could figure it out that it was a shadow of the original. So, I was left with little option than to bring out my next best thing to baking. Yes - Pancake puff pan. Its not much of a compromise trust me. The texture is perfect - the outside is all crispy and the inside is filled with soft potato goodness! What's not to like about that, tell me? Try this out to enjoy the Potato goodness without worrying about your weighing scale. And, needless to say, Kids will love you for welcoming them with hot bondas when they get home from school.
- Cook time:
- Prep time:
- Serves: 3 people
- Yields: Makes about 10-12 small bondas
Ingredients
- 1 large (or 2 medium) Potatoes, about 250 gms
- 1 small onion,chopped v finely
- 1/4 cup frozen peas
- 1-2 green chillies, thinly sliced (or as per taste)
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp split black lentils (urad dal)
- 1 pinch of turmeric
- a pinch of asafoetida
- few sprigs of curry leaves and cilantro
- little salt to taste
- For the batter
- about 2 tbsp channa flour (Besan/Indian chickpea flour)
- 1 heaped tbsp rice flour
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder, or as per taste
- little salt to taste (be careful that the filling also has salt)
Method
1.
Unless its for soup, I have become a slave to steaming. I steam all my vegetables always for whatever dish I make (if you have been following my blog, you would have known that already). You can of course alternatively boil the potatoes
2.
Mash them and set aside. You can remove the skin but I keep them.
3.
In a skillet, meanwhile in 1 tsp of oil, temper the mustard seeds. When they start popping, add the lentils. Once browned add the onions, turmeric, chillies, curry leaves and saute them with little salt.
4.
Add the potatoes, peas and cilantro.
5.
Saute them for 1-2 minutes until it all comes together.
6.
Take this filling (you can do a taste test and add more seasoning you like). Form into small balls. Keep it smaller than traditional bondas since the pancake puff pan is small. depending on the size you need add more/less of 1 tsp oil.
7.
Alternatively prepare the batter. Add all the ingredients for the batter in a bowl.
8.
Add few tbsp of water to the mixture until it forms a thick batter. Not too thick nor thin. It should be thick to coat the potato dumplings.
9.
Drop the potato balls into the batter to coat.
10.
Add 1 tsp 1/4 tsp of oil on all the holes of the pancake puff pan. [Update 28th Feb 2012] I made these recently once again and realized I used only 1/4 tsp of oil for each bonda. You can use a max of 1/2 tsp. depending on the size of the bonda. The original 1 tsp. of oil written for this recipe is too much. Sorry for the mistake. Once the oil is hot, drop the potato dumplings coated with the batter mixture into the holes.
11.
Let it cook and once you see the bottom browning, keep turning on all the sides until its cooked all over and browned well.
12.
For the next batch repeat. Add oil, let it become hot and then add the prepared potatoes. Drop them on a paper towel.
Serve hot with a favorite condiment. Traditionally these are enjoyed with coconut chutney in my house. This all I had left in 10 minutes of serving! 1 and a half piece (half??!!)
Filed Under these categories
- 287 Course
- 366 Cuisine
- 447 Gluten Free
- 206 Healthy Foods
- 180 Indian Recipes
- 55 Indian Snacks
- 705 Kid Friendly
- 292 Snacks
- 499 Vegan Recipes
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9 Member Reviews
By Nitha on Jul 12, 2012
I boiled potatoes in the pressure cooker so it was lil mushy. Added breadcrumbs to make it as balls. Tasted awesome. That's why my husband had only 7 bondas ![\"wink\"](\"http://chefinyou.com/wp-includes/Text/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/wink_smile.gif\" "\\"wink\\"")
.
By Priya on Feb 28, 2012
Hi Dk,
I had some leftover potato masala ( which I had made for masal dosai..:) and it was sitting in the fridge with a longing look what are you gonna do with me. Presto!!! I remembered this recipe of urs and took out my kuzipaniyaram pan and started making these. It was a perfect snack to munch during grammy awards. Unfortunately I couidn't take a pic cos everything vanished b'fore I could click it...![\"smiley\"](\"http://chefinyou.com/wp-includes/Text/ckeditor/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.gif\" "\\"smiley\\"")
62 Comments
By Rekha on Apr 8, 2015
Absolutely incredible recipe.... Tried it out n it came out just perfect.... Added a lil garlic n ginger to the potato mix:)
By Deliciosas croquetas de papas | Recetas de cocina :: Recetas fáciles de preparar on Dec 26, 2013
[...] imagen: chef in you Otras recetas interesantesPapas rellenas con carne y quesoCómo preparar un sencillo guacamolePie [...]
By Tara on Feb 3, 2013
Just made a batch of 40 using two ebelskiver pans going at once...perfect gluten free / dairy free superbowl fare! Thanks! 8)
By FoodFlirt on Jan 11, 2013
Hey!! Is your a cast iron puff pan or non-stick..I would want to go get one. Please advice. Thanks!
Mine is Cast iron :) --DK
By hamsini on Dec 10, 2012
hi d.k. they are looking so nice and mouth watering toooo. but i had a small doubt please clarify it . instead of using pancake can i deep fry them ? bcoz all of us ( your followers ) :wink: will not have the pan cake right ! so , can we deep fry it ?
By Hilda Moustakas on Nov 30, 2012
:-P just to let you know that I have tried a lot of your recipes and according to my daughter in law who is Indian from Mumbai, they are great... next I am going to try and make bhindi masala, since we all love Okra...I so much enjoy your posts...keep up the great receipes
By Sum on Nov 28, 2012
sounds like a great recipe.. do you think i could make n half fry them then freeze them for my hubby because i'll be away for a month or so n want to leave him quick fix snacks and meals..
By Srividhya on Oct 2, 2012
Hello :) Made this last week and it was a super hit. My husband is not fond of potatoes but he enjoyed this! and so did I. I am going to try the sweet appam in this next!
By bina on Oct 2, 2012
wow...didnt know i could make this in appam pan ...love to try this.
By Suresh on May 22, 2012
Excellent South Indian Urulai Kizhangu Bonda. Your explanation and writing is as wonderful as your recipe. Keep up the good work. Cheers
By shweta on Apr 21, 2012
very nice recipe........... I just love cooking and was surfing to get some good snacks item and i came thru this website.........Good job Done very nicely explained..............
By Mini on Mar 12, 2012
Can I skip rice flour in batter? Is it essential?
By Swa on Mar 6, 2012
Is the pan same as the appam pan we get in india. Will there beany difference in taste
By pmvijayalakshmi on Jan 18, 2012
hi very good tasty very nice
By Harsha on Dec 19, 2011
Thanks for the low calorie idea dk wow wow recipe Thankyou very much :-P
By Priya on Nov 26, 2011
Absolutely fabulous, tried and tasted them! Thanks for an awesome bonda recipe!
By Rabaa on Aug 7, 2011
thank u :wink:
By swa on Jun 15, 2011
will the taste be same as fried aloo bonda. just curious to know.for what other purpose the pancake puff pan can be used
By SS on May 23, 2011
Absolutely love the idea! I am going to try it today. Thanks for the recipe.
By Usha on May 16, 2011
Hi!
This is a very good idea! A must try recipe!
By Sudha on Apr 21, 2011
Very nice idea indeed!! Low calorie bonda !!!
By Judi on Mar 6, 2011
can these potato puffs be made ahead earlier in the day, and reheated in the oven :?:
I havent done that personally. But I have made the filling in advance and shaped into rolls. I refrigerated those and the next day I just whipped up the flour mixture and made them in the pan
By Sumi on Feb 14, 2011
This is good idea.. I was curious what the pancake puff pan is. I dont know if you are familar with appa karal (used for neyyappam by Tamil Iyers, also called unniappam in Kerala). It is a thick pan with 7 holes like this. It takes a .5 to 1 tsp of oil per hole. Also comes with non-stick coating these days.
By swetha on Jan 29, 2011
Very nice ... very helpful recipe :) thank you very much
By Low Calorie Potato Bonda « Chef Hema on Nov 9, 2010
[...] Low Calorie Potato Bonda Filed under: Starter by hema — Leave a comment November 9, 2010 After seeing the announcement for tried&tested event ( originally started by Zlamushka ) at Priya’s easyntastyrecipes I visited DK’s blog chef in you. She has a variety of healthy recipes. She uses innovative techniques to make the recipes healthy and low calorie. One recipe that caught my eye was that of low calorie aloo bonda. Well…potato bonda and me go back a long time. It is one of my favorite snacks. I love the taste of yummy soft potatoes in crispy coating of gram flour. In this recipe DK uses the pancake-puff pan ( kuzhi paniyaram pan ) to make the bondas instead of deep frying them. Thanks to DK I can now indulge in my favourite snack with out the guilt of having deep-fried oil rich food. I have followed her recipe as such. You can find the recipe here. [...]
By Radhika Vasanth on Nov 3, 2010
Thanks for the low calorie idea DK. I used the ebelskiver to make bondas instead of frying it in oil. And guess what it came out perfectly :)
By Deliciosas croquetas de papas | Woo Recetas :: Recetas de cocina :: Recetas fáciles on Sep 8, 2010
[...] Vía imagen: chef in you [...]
By sunita on Sep 1, 2010
hi dk i stay in calcutta can u plz tell me if i can find this pancake maker her or anywhere in india or any website where i can order would like to buy thanks
You can post this query at Chefinyou Facebook page - There are quite a few readers from calcutta and if they know they will be able to help u out with shop names - http://www.facebook.com/ChefInYou. Also I am not sure if Amazon delivers to India but if it does you can buy this through their estore - http://www.amazon.com/Pancake-Puffs-Cast-Iron-Set/dp/B00114LC06
By aparna on Aug 25, 2010
do we need to soak the urad dal overnite or directly use it?
I would have mentioned it if that was the case.:) No u dont need to
By Shaheen on Aug 18, 2010
I made this for iftar. Turned out really yummy! very light too coz of less oil. Thanks for sharing. Wasn't able to take any pictures. The whole lot finished in seconds!! :-P
By Jayanthi Sekar on Aug 11, 2010
nice to see you have made it in Appakar
By Jayanthi Sekar on Aug 11, 2010
Hi,
Yours was a new idea to make aloo bonda in appakar..
By Prach on Aug 5, 2010
Hi,
I have an electric smooth top stove. Do u think the pancake puff will work on it?
Thanks.
I guess it should if you use other pots and pans to cook on it
By Nisha on Aug 3, 2010
Hi, interesting way of cooking Aloo Bondas. When cooking in the pancake (muffin pans as we call it in Australia) pls advise what temperature was this cooked in and for how long? Thanks
BTW love your style of showing step by step photos - makes it so much easier than just imagining what it should look like. Keep up the good job !!
This was cooked on stove top not in an oven. Drop the batter only when oil is hot. I am not sure exactly how long it takes (depends on whether you have electric or gas stove - mine is electric) but I would estimate about 6-8 minutes for one bonda to be completely cooked on all the sides. You would have to turn it when one side is done to other sides until all the sides are browned
By Leena on Aug 1, 2010
Great idea,lovely recipe...
By samata on Jul 29, 2010
OMG !! You are the Einstein of cooking science ( or art ? ). You come up with really innovative ideas . I can't wait to try the recipe.
By pushpa on Jul 28, 2010
hai danshree it is the one we get in south india now we get non-stick pan cake down south india i got it 4m india last time when i went there is ur pan puff flat at bottom then once u heat oil lower the flame and try do u get nonstick pan then try using it
By CurryLeaf on Jul 28, 2010
Its raining here DK. These are perfect with a cuppa.BTW,I heard about yout mint raitha for Siri.What about me?BOOHOO,I have been forgotten
No sweets - I made it when she and S came over for dinner..will post it for you soon :) :)
By sangeeta on Jul 28, 2010
I loved it... i have guntapongalu patre... sure i will try..
By dhanashree on Jul 28, 2010
Hey, i just wanted to confirm , is this pancake puff pan that u've mentioned, similar to the appe patra(made with iron and heavy in weight) that we get in the south...?? becoz so far i've tried these in the oven with not so satisfactory results, so really curious...
Yes the same...:)
By roopa on Jul 27, 2010
What a coincidence !..few days back i tried the same way but with onions and cabbage, came out good ! guess its telepathic or something ;)
By Aparna on Jul 27, 2010
Surely a healthy way of making bondas. I had tried the same method a few days back for some other dish. I could eat it guilt-free!
By n33ma on Jul 27, 2010
interesting healthy idea,looks yummy.
By pushpa on Jul 27, 2010
yes i do have the paneyaram cookware but my concern is the bonda will take in oil 4m the paniyaram holes so how do u call it oil free or low cal pl mail me may b it wont consume the quantity usually it takes on a open kadai
I never call this oil free - I only said its low calorie. Deep frying takes in more oil than mere 1 tsp of oil. Depending on the size of your bondas, u will need less or equal to 1 tsp of oil and its sufficient to make one whole bonda on all the sides. Try making it, you will see the difference :)
By Chhaya on Jul 27, 2010
Thats a great idea ! I have not one but two pans ! (yippie ! more bondas :) ) Should try this out very soon !!
By Sujatha on Jul 27, 2010
In fact, any leftover batter .. idli/dosa/adai can be turned into a tasty snack with available ingredients & this kind of pan. For all those worried about the weight of the pan to carry overseas, it is available in lightweight non-stick version as well :wink: Most kids love these snacks! Easy to serve @ parties too!
Its available online or in the US under the name of Pancake puff pan too... :)
By prathibha on Jul 27, 2010
Looks really tempting...and low fat too..
By swetha on Jul 27, 2010
is there an alternative if we dont hve the pan ???
I have personally not tried it, but I have seen this long iron ladle my mom has which she uses to temper. You probably can try that by heating little oil and frying up the bonda. The only downside I can see id the time and effort of doing one bonda at a time! :(
By Gayatri on Jul 27, 2010
Really healthy way to eat Aloo Bondas :) .. luv the recipe.. just wanted to know if it's possible to make them in Idli cooker ? I don't have the pan you've used... thanks..
I am not sure idli cooker will work..can you place your idli plate directly on the flame???
By Dee on Jul 26, 2010
Woah..I love you! Cant wait to try this!
What else can I make in a paniyaaram pan? How aboout onion pakoda? *evil grin*
Onion Pakoda I have tried with not so good results..the space is too small to fry up the pakodas...hasnt worked that well for me till date..if it does - will post it :)
By Hari Chandana on Jul 26, 2010
Wowww... looks soo tempting dear.. healthy and delicious !!
By Sanjeeta kk on Jul 26, 2010
Lovely presentation and a great idea tp fry the snack in non stick Appam moulds.
By Shoba Shrinivasan on Jul 26, 2010
looks yummy....i love the backlight that you have in your clicks...i envy kitchens that have so much natural light!!!
Lovey dish dk..
Shobha
By Sharmilee on Jul 26, 2010
Have been using the paniyaram pan for all such stuffs too....looks perfect
By Preeti on Jul 26, 2010
that's really nice:)
By AshaLatha R K Prasad on Jul 26, 2010
Seriously guilt free...... Thanks for sharing..... But right now I do not own one, when I pick a pan, I would love to try & savor it without any fear.... :)
Ash...
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
By shyam on Jul 26, 2010
You're funny :) And NIIIIICE recipe! Cant wait to try it once I'm back in the UK!
By Pavani on Jul 26, 2010
Hehehe.. the half leftover bonda is funny.. I'll probably be one of those who leave half bondas.. I know.. my husband snickers at me too.
Love the low-cal bonda recipe, will definitely try out soon.
By sonia on Jul 26, 2010
SD, Here it is:
http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-3113-Aebelskiver-Pan/dp/B000ZUAFL4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1280188269&sr=8-1
By SD on Jul 26, 2010
Yumm!!! They are very nice with evening tea.
I wish i had these uppam makers ... Can;t carry it from india due to weight constraints. :(
I dunno where you are currently. But its available in the US under the name of Pancake Puff pan ( or Aebleskiver pan) in Target, Walmart etc :) You can find the same in Amazon.com
By Tweets that mention Low Calorie Aloo (Urulaikizhangu) Bonda Recipe | Indian Potato Fritters | Chef In You -- Topsy.com on Jul 26, 2010
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by D_K, D_K. D_K said: Famous Indian Potato fritters - Aloo Bondas - get a makeover. Low calorie yet with the crispiness of the original... http://fb.me/EamvEnhN [...]
By Manju on Sep 20, 2016