Indian Spiced Potato Balls (Bonda)

These fried spiced potato balls turn the humble tuber into a scrumptious snack. Add a variety of spices and you will be left licking your fingers and asking for more. There hasn’t been one person that I have made these for that has told me they did not like them. It’s one of those snacks that both kids and adults go crazy for – and so will you once you try them.

Ingredients for Indian Spiced Potato Balls

Potatoes, some daily use spices, and some exotic spices. All combined to get a perfect Indian snack.

Ingredients list for Indian Fried Potato Balls

• 2 baking potatoes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon whole black mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves
• 1 small red onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 inch fresh ginger
• 1 red or green chili
• 1/4 cup cashew nuts (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dried mango powder (or juice of 1 lime)
• salt to taste
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or red chili powder)
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2 water (plus more as needed)

---

More Snack Ideas you will Like:

---

The Mashed Potatoes for the Indian Recipe

To start, we need to boil the potatoes. In a large pot, boil some water and salt and add the potatoes to it. Allow them to boil until they are soft. I boil mine whole with the skin on. That helps keep extra moisture out of the potatoes. If you skin them and chop them, they get very soft and will not hold their shape. Once boiled and cooled completely, peel and mash them, and set them aside.

The Nuts and Spices for the Mashed Potato Balls

While the potatoes are boiling, let’s get the “masala” ready. Finely chop the onion, garlic, ginger, and chili and set aside. In a pan, heat the oil until it’s really hot and almost smoking.

Add the mustard seeds and once they pop, add the curry leaves and cumin seeds to the pan. The whole house will smell amazing with the fragrance. Add the cashew nuts to the pan and allow them to cook for about 2-3 minutes (or until they are brownish).

Add the onions, garlic, ginger, and chili to the pan and cook for 2 minutes or until they are softened. Turn the heat off and allow the masala to cool down completely. Once cooled, add the onion spice mixture to the bowl with the mashed potatoes. At the same time, we can add the dried mango powder or lime juice and salt to taste. Mix well so that the potatoes are all well combined with the spices. I like to taste the mix so I know if I need to adjust for salt and spices.

The Chick Pea Flour Batter

Once the mixture is ready, we can make 12 equal balls out of it. I make my spiced potato balls about 2 inches in diameter. Using your hands, grab some of the potato mixture and make the balls. Set them aside while you make the chickpea flour batter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chickpea flour and rice flour. Add the cayenne, cumin, coriander, turmeric, and salt to the bowl and mix everything so that the spices are well blended with the chickpea flour.

Frying the Indian Spiced Potato Balls

Before we make the batter, let’s get the oil going. In a large pan or pot, add your frying oil, and heat it to about 350 degrees F. To make the batter, add the water slowly to form a pancake like batter. If needed, add more water – one tablespoon at a time till you have the desired consistency. It needs to be thick enough to coat the balls. I like to have a thick layer of batter on the balls. But if you prefer to make your batter a little thinner, that’s fine too.

Drop each ball into the batter one at a time and once properly coated, using a fork or spoon, drop them into the heated oil. Fry them for about 3-4 minutes or until the batter is browned from the outside and has crisped up. Remove the fried spiced potato balls from the oil and lay them on a paper towel lined tray or dish. This will help absorb any extra oil.

Serving Suggestions:

Enjoy the spiced potato balls hot with:

• a side of my mango and coriander chutney
• and my perfect cup of chai.
• my pumpkin latte goes really well with this recipe too.

Stay Connected

If you like the recipe please leave a comment below. Don’t forget to sign up for the free newsletter and be the first to learn about all my new recipes. And, don’t forget to follow me on my social media accounts Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.

Don’t forget to follow me

Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter.