Batata Ambado/Aloo Bondas are quick and delicious south Indian deep fried spicy potato balls dipped in chickpea batter.
They are the perfect snack to have with your evening chai or coffee or to serve at your next party.
Totally vegan, plant based and vegetarian, this easy Indian snack is one of the most favored dish in India and globally by Indians and other foodies too!
Every region in India has their own version of making “batata ambados” as they are called by the Konkani community of Mangalore (in southern India) from which I hail.
In northern part of India, aloo bondas (as they are called there), garam masala and other spices are added along with vegetables.
In the western part of India, in Maharashtra, they call it batata vadas and normally they are spiced up with garlic and coriander powder and popularly used to make an Indian burger called “Vada Pav”.
WHAT IS BATATA AMBADO
Batata ambado is a simple south Indian version of mashed potato fritters, with no onion or garlic and just some mild spices like hing or asafoetida, chilli powder/green chilies and turmeric powder.
We add a tadka or "tempering" of some mustards seeds, sometimes curry leaves, along with a lentil called urad dal/split black gram for that extra oomph but this is optional!
I have added green chilies/jalapenos too to spice it up a bit, some grated ginger and freshly chopped coriander leaves to make it more flavorful and aromatic!!
It is so easy and quick to make; just boil, peel and mash the potatoes (aloo/batata), add chopped jalapenos, grated ginger and finely chopped fresh cilantro and spice it up with a seasoning of mustard, urad dal, hing and turmeric in oil.
Make small balls of these; dip them in a chickpea batter (made with chickpea flour, rice flour, turmeric, hing and chili powder) and deep fry to a crispy golden brown color; perfect with a hot cup of chai/tea or coffee!!
Try these at your next party or evening break and enjoy these spicy, aromatic batata ambados with your family and friends!!
Sometimes, whenever I get Kerala type bananas, I got to make some fritters from those too!
These bananas are also called "Nendra Pazham" in Kerala and has a unique flavor and aroma which we love!
We prefer to make halwas, chips etc. with them or even a sweet gulab jamun type dessert but my favorite is this banana fritter or Kela Bhajo as we call it!
Just slice, peel, dip in chickpea batter and deep fry like aloo bondas/batata ambados!
My preferred evening snack...spicy batata ambados and spicy yet sweet Kerala banana fritters of course with some hot ginger chai on the side!
You can basically fry anything this batter....capsicum/bell peppers, cauliflower florets, bread fruit, onions, big jalapenos, potatoes etc.
Do try making this easy, delicious and a perfect accompaniment to chai/coffee Batata Ambados or even Banana Bhajos!
Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!
Other quick snacks you can try:
Lets fry up some aloo bondas!
Quick south Indian deep fried spicy potato balls dipped in chickpea batter. They are the perfect snack to have with your evening chai or coffee or to serve at a party.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 medium sized potatoes
- 2 green chillies/jalapenos
- 1 inch piece ginger, grated or chopped
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (split white lentil)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 teaspoon oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup besan/chickpea flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon hing/asafoetida
- Salt to taste
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker or pan till well boiled and cooked. Peel and mash well.
- Place in a mixing bowl; add the finely chopped green chilies, grated ginger, and chopped coriander leaves.
- In a small saucepan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to crackle, add the urad dal, hing and turmeric powder.
- Pour over the potatoes. Add lemon juice and salt to taste and mix well.
- Make small medium sized balls out of it and keep on a plate.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the besan, rice flour, turmeric powder, hing, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
- Add water gradually to make a thick batter which can coat the potato balls.
- Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai.
- Once the oil is hot, dip each potato ball into the batter to coat it well and gently lift and drop into the hot oil.
- Fry batata ambados in hot oil till golden brown, remove and place on paper towel lined plates to drain the excess oil.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato ketchup or coriander chutney!!
- Hot, spicy and flavorful batata ambados are perfect as an evening snack with chai or coffee.
Notes
The potato stuffing can be varied to suit your taste. You can add vegetables like green peas, carrots, finely chopped beans etc.; just cook them along with the seasonings.
For a different flavor, add sauteed onions along with the other vegetables.
The chickpea batter should be thick enough to coat the potato balls completely. If you find the batter runny, add some chickpea flour and if it is too thick, add some water.
Same batter can be used to make any fritter....be it capsicum/bell pepper, cauliflower, sliced potatoes, sliced raw bananas, onions etc.
Step-by-step method:
Preparing the potato mixture:
- Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker or pan till well boiled and cooked. Peel and mash well.
- In a small saucepan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When it starts to crackle, add the urad dal, hing, green chillies and grated ginger.
- Fry for a few seconds and pour over the potatoes. Add chopped coriander leaves, lemon juice, turmeric powder and salt to taste.
- Mix well.
- Make small medium sized balls out of it and keep on a plate.
Preparing the besan batter:
- In a small mixing bowl, add the besan, rice flour, turmeric powder, hing, red chilli powder and salt to taste.
- Add water gradually to make a thick batter which can coat the potato balls.
Making the batata ambado:
- Heat oil for deep frying in a pan or kadai.
- Once the oil is hot, dip each potato ball into the batter to coat it well and gently lift and drop into the hot oil.
- Fry batata ambados in hot oil till golden brown, remove and place on paper towel lined plates to drain the excess oil.
- Serve hot with coconut chutney, tomato ketchup or coriander chutney!!
Hot, spicy and flavorful batata ambados are perfect as an evening snack with chai or coffee or even for breakfast.
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!!
Where can I have home delivery
I am dr ramdas rai a retired professor of surgery
Dr b ramdas rai
Thank you so much 🙂
Wish I could do home delivery for most of my home cooking dishes but logistics come in the way <3
Again, Thanks so much for sharing your appreciation and hopefully, I will be able to share this with you one day.
I love Indian food but I don't know that I've ever tried these. They look gorgeous! Fried potatoes are so good and these definitely whet the appetite. Thanks so much for sharing with us at Fiesta Friday.
Thanks a bunch Maggie! Love being part of FF!
I always have fun reading Indian recipes - I am becoming more familiar with the ingredients. Great recipe and thanks for sharing these bite-size treats with Fiesta Friday!
Thank you 🙂 Once you have the spices in your pantry, cooking Indian food is a breeze!!! Proud to be part of Fiesta Friday....!!