Bread Vada or Bonda

Indulge if you may in this deep fried delight. Aloo = Potato, stuffed bread Bonda = Dumpling, deep fried in this case. The sound of Bonda or Vada would easily make any Indian salivate especially on a rainy day. These delightful spheres make a delicious evening snack with tea or coffee. It is a tasty and filling after-school snack for kids who usually like both bread and potatoes.

Bread Vada or Bonda

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Author: Bhavna

Ingredients

  • Bread slices 4
  • Potatoes 4 Medium
  • Green peas 1/4 Cup (4 tbs)
  • Cilantro sprig 5 (coriander)
  • Cumin seeds 1/2 Teaspoon (jeera)
  • Dhaniya powder 1/2 Teaspoon (coriander)
  • Garam masala powder 1/2 Teaspoon
  • Lime juice 2 Tablespoon
  • Turmeric powder 2 Pinch
  • Salt To Taste
  • Chilly powder To Taste
  • Oil to fry or Bake for healthier version
  • I keep on changing stuffing ingredients for variations. I love Paneer Bread Bonda as well.

Instructions

  • Boil Potatoes and mash them while still hot. Add turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, garam masala powder, juice of lime, salt and chilly powder. Mix well. Keep this mixture aside.
  • Heat 3 tbs oil in a skillet. Add cumin seeds. Add the potato mixture and then add cilantro. Also add boiled green peas. Keep stirring. Cook for a few minutes/until potato mixture turns brownish. Remove from stove. Let cool and then make some balls (the size of ping pong balls) of this mixture.
  • Take a bread slice. Dampen it in water. Squeeze out the water immediately. Place the bread slice in left palm, squeeze out the water by pressing your right palm on top of the left palm. Do not fold the slice or over handle it as it will crumble. Be very careful while doing this, making sure you have squeezed out enough water without crumbling the bread slice. Place a potato ball in the center and cover it from all sides with the damp bread slice. Roll it between your palms so that it becomes a bread ball. Repeat procedure with other balls.

Frying Option

  • Heat up about 11/2 cups of oil in a medium frying pan. When the oil is hot, start frying Bondas. It doesn’t take long to fry so keep an eye on it. Once fried, bring down onto paper towel to remove extra oil from vada.

Baking option:

  • Arrange these balls in a baking dish and bake them for 20 minutes (or a little more if needed) at 400 C.
  • Serve with tomato ketchup or Chutneys.

When I don’t feel like frying or baking these balls, I pop them into Sandwich toaster and believe me or not, it just taste amazing!