Name: Cheesy Bread Bondas (Cheese filled deep fried bread balls)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ingredients: About 15 slices of bread (depending upon the size of the bread slices); 3/4 cup finely chopped onion; ¾ cup finely chopped green capsicum or bell pepper; ¾ cup finely chopped orange/red bell pepper; 1 to 2 green chilies/jalapeno/serrano (1 tbsp finely chopped); ½ teaspoon oregano flakes; ½ teaspoon chilli flakes; 1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese (grated); Salt to taste (if needed); Oil for deep frying

Cheesy Bread Bondas are a quick snack to make for evening tea, as a starter at any party or when friends drop in. Trimmed bread slices are filled with a cheese-onion-bell pepper mixture, rolled into balls and deep fried to a golden brown color.

They are so customizable that you can fill with your favorite filling which your family loves. Cheese is optional but YUMMY!!

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This is an absolutely high-in-demand snack in our house and has even won a prize in a contest. So easy to make with simple pantry ingredients which everyone has, all you need is a side dip of either plain ketchup or any hot sauce or even thick marinara sauce.

I learnt this tasty dish from a favorite Aunt of mine and ever since then, it has become a favorite in our house.

She had used coriander leaves and Indian spices; our favorite is pizza flavored filling with onions, bell peppers, chill flakes, oregano and lots of mozzarella cheese!!!

Deep fried crispy balls of bread fritters, oozing with goeey cheese juxtaposed with the crunch of bell peppers, onions and a heady, aromatic mix of flavors which you would put in a pizza....got your attention right? Especially if you are pizza lover!

My kids love it (Oh, I have mentioned it before haven't I) and I have been making it for decades whenever I get fresh bread; yes these fritters (or bondas) need fresh, soft bread to form into those beautiful, round balls of yumminess!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE CHEESY BREAD BONDAS:

Bread slices - here, you will need fresh and soft slices; preferably white but if on a healthy trip, make sure whole wheat or multigrain bread is super soft and moist. This helps in molding them over the filling to form balls. A slightly stale or days old bread might break off, making it difficult to encase the filling.

Mozzarella Cheese - the stringy, gooey kind you add on pizzas. But feel free to use any of your favorite or even a mix of cheeses.

Bell peppers/Capsicum - our favorite pizza topping! Just chop them fine to make filling them in the bread balls easier. You can use only green or a mix of green and colored.

Onions - again finely chopped.

Green chilies/jalapenos/serrano peppers - as much or little as you need, finely chopped.

Crushed red pepper - optional but adds to the heat. You can use either of these peppers or both.

Dried oregano leaves (or mixed herbs) - just a dash but necessary to give these bondas a pizza flavor.

Oil for deep frying - I tried air frying them, but was not happy with the texture. So, sorry folks, you have to deep fry these to enjoy them to the fullest.

HOW TO MAKE EASY CHEESY BREAD BONDAS:

First let us make the filling.

In a bowl, add the onions, bell pepper, green chilies, chili flakes, oregano and mozzarella cheese. Mix well until fully combined.

Next step is to prepare the bread slices for filling.

Remove the sides from all the bread slices (you can use this to make croutons or even bread crumbs) with a sharp knife.

Take a slice of bread, moisten with water on top side; not to too much, but just enough to make it pliable to cover the filling (you can dip them in a bowl of water if the slices are too dry or hard, but do not soak it too much, just dip, remove and squeeze the water out between the palms of your hands, maintaining the shape of the bread slice).

Spoon about a tablespoon of mixture in the center, pull up the corners of the bread slice over the filling; press, roll and make into round balls. Press gently while making the balls to squeeze out any excess water and take care to not expose the filling.

Make sure to form even, round, tight balls.

Prepare all the bread bondas, cover and refrigerate for about half an hour (optional, but this sets the bonda balls and maintains the shape while frying).

Just before serving, heat oil for deep frying.

Once the oil heats up, reduce heat to medium and drop about 2 to 3 bread bondas in the hot oil. Fry on medium heat, tossing often with the spatula to fry them evenly, ensure even browning and to allow enough time for the heat to melt the cheese inside!!

Once crispy and golden brown, remove, drain on paper towels and serve hot with ketchup or tomato sauce.

Biting into a warm, crispy on the outside but cheesy, spicy and delicious bread bonda reveals the oozy melting cheese and is reminiscent of eating a pizza in a bonda or round fritter form!!

Whenever I ask my children what snack they would like me to prepare, this is the first one they mention!!! Hope it will be your favorite too.

A wonderful, easy to make and quick delicious snack the whole family can enjoy!

Although I have been making this for decades and has been a family favorite, it recently garnered a wonderful response and even won a prize in an International Recipe Contest.

If you happen to make it, I would love to hear about it. Please leave a comment in the box below (do not forget to rate) and/or share/tag me on Instagram (@curryandvanilla16) and/or on my Facebook page.

Enjoy and Happy Cooking/Eating!

Here are some more easy snacks you can try from my blog:

Cheesy Bread Bondas (Cheese filled deep fried bread balls)

Trimmed bread slices are filled with a cheese-onion mixture, rolled into balls and deep fried to a golden brown color. Perfect as a snack with a side of ketchup or hot sauce.

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Bread, cheese, Fritters, pizza

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Author Vanitha

Ingredients

About 15 slices of bread depending upon the size of the bread slices
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
¾ cup finely chopped green capsicum or bell pepper
¾ cup finely chopped orange/red bell pepper
1 to 2 green chilies/jalapeno/serrano 1 tbsp finely chopped
½ teaspoon oregano flakes
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
1 ½ cups mozzarella cheese grated
Salt to taste (if needed)
Oil for deep frying

Instructions

First let us make the bread bonda balls.
Remove the sides from all the bread slices (you can use this to make croutons or breadcrumbs) with a sharp knife.
In a bowl, add the onions, bell pepper, green chilies, chili flakes, oregano and mozzarella cheese. Mix well till fully combined.
Take a slice of bread, moisten with water all over with a few drops. You just need to make them slightly soft and pliable to mold around the filling.
If the slices are slightly hard you can dip them in a bowl of water, but do not soak it too much, just dip, remove and squeeze the water out between the palms of your hands, maintaining the shape of the bread slice.
Spoon about a tablespoon of mixture in the center, pull up the corners of the bread slice over the filling press, roll and make into round balls using the palms of both your hands.
Press gently while making the balls to squeeze out any excess water (if any) and take care to not expose the filling. You need a tightly filled ball of bread dough.
Prepare all the bread bondas, cover and refrigerate for about half an hour (optional, but this sets the bonda balls and maintains the shapes).
Just before serving, heat oil for deep frying.
Once the oil heats up, roll each bread ball again to make sure it is round and the filling is not exposed, reduce heat to medium high and drop about 2 to 3 bread bondas in the hot oil.
Fry on medium, stirring or tossing continuously to fry them evenly on all sides, ensure even browning and to allow enough time for the heat to melt the cheese inside!!
If you fry on high heat, the outside will be browned but the cheese would not have melted.
Once done, remove from oil, drain on paper towels and serve hot with ketchup or tomato sauce/hot sauce
Best enjoyed hot!
Enjoy Foodies and Happy Eating.

Recipe Notes

White bread works best for this bonda. But if using whole wheat or any other, make sure the slices are soft, fresh and moist.
If the bread slices are small, you may need more slices.
Take care not to dip the bread in water for too long (if doing so), just dip and remove, and then squeeze out all the water between the palms of your hands.
The amount of cheese and green chilies can be adjusted to your taste.
If you do not have oregano, use any other spice you prefer like garam masala, jeera etc.
If you prefer, you can lightly saute or fry the onions, green chilies and bell pepper in a little oil before making the stuffing.
Coriander leaves gives a nice flavor to it.
This is a great snack to relish with tea or coffee and works great as a starter (prepare the bread balls ahead, refrigerate and deep fry just before serving).