Enthaligai: VEGETABLE BONDA - A LIP SMACKING SNACK FOR WEEKEND

As I lay on bed on the early morning hours of a weekend, I couldn't allow my mind to calm down due to multifarious reasons. So I thought I could divert myself to blogging.

Last few weeks, DH and myself were fully on thoughts to move out Jr. H to a new school and were doing lot of background research on it. Getting admission on schools isn't easy here and especially for the higher classes. Finally after much effort, after repeated trips, we got an admission in an upcoming new school with good reviews and admitted him there. Jr. H had two rounds of interaction before he was admitted. Now a lot of follow up activities needs to be taken care such as school uniforms, transport, books etc., Jr. H is in mixed reaction now; he feels sad for leaving his old friends and at the same time he is quite excited to join the new environment. I am kind of slightly concerned about the settling process in the new environment. He need to unlearn and learn many new things to accommodate the new environment, get some good friends, get some recognition among teachers and many more things following to that. Let's see how it goes. As a first step at home, I make him feel comfort from a parent end and provide him as much as support.

Jumping on quickly about today's post, Vegetable Bonda, this is a popular lip smacking tea time South Indian snack made with different variations - can be stuffed with just potatoes or with mixed vegetables. Every mother is brilliant to sneak in veggies on kids favorite dish and I'm no different in it. I made this mixed vegetable bonda on a casual evening on a weekend and in no time the bonda's were finished by DH and Jr. H.

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables (Beets, carrots, Beans, Green peas) - 2 cups

Boiled potato - 2

Onion - 2

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Tempering items:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dhal - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 3

Curry leaves - few

For the batter:

Besan/ bengal gram flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cooking soda (soda bi carb)- a pinch
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Pressure cook potatoes and mash it slightly. Meanwhile cut the vegetables into tiny cubes, throw in some green peas, and pressure for 3 whistles with salt and little water and mash it as well.

2. Heat a pan, add oil, and throw in the tempering items one by one. When the mustard seeds sizzles, throw in urad dhal and curry leaves, and later add the mashed boiled veggies and potato. Add red chilly powder, required salt (if necessary) and saute for few minutes and switch off the flame. After it cools down, make a even sized round balls and keep it ready (see picture below).

3. Finally the preparation of the batter by mixing besan, rice flour, red chilly powder with a pinch of cooking soda. Add water and make a slightly thick batter. Heat oil in pan, dip the vegetables balls in the batter and make sure it is well coated on all sides, and gently drop the balls in hot oil and fry the bondas until they turn golden brown. Repeat the same with remaining vegetable balls.