Aloo Badam Bonda for Ugadi ~ Sri Nandana Nama Samvatsara Ugadi Subhakankshalu ~ Ringing in the Telugu New Year

We at CurryInKadai, wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year ahead! We wish this new year brings in loads and loads of happiness for everyone.. Ugadi is so important for Andhrites and we start the day with the pooja and then taking Ugadi Pachadi made with Mangoes( new mangoes ), neem flowers, jaggery/sugar, salt, tamarind juice, khus khus( gasagasalu ), putnala pappu etc., Its actually a juice with Shadruchulu.

Today the house will be swamped with family and freinds enjoying a feast with lots of sweets and savories. Mostly comprising of foods made with Mangoes, like Mango Rice, Sweet Mango chutney, etc., Aloo bondas are a definite must at my in laws house for Ugadi. Aloo Bondas are Dumplings made with potatoes and spices and are sumptuous and super easy! These bondas are brimming with flavor from ginger, mint and cilnatro along with nuttiness from almonds and cashew nuts! I bet no one can eat just one!


Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Ginger
• Chillies
• Curry leaves
• Lime Juice / Grated Green mango
• Cilantro
• Mint
• Besan / Chick Pea Flour
• Slivered Almonds
• Cashew nuts
• Mustard seeds
• Jeera
• Ajwain
• Oil

How To:

• Boil the potatoes and peel the skin off mash them and keep aside
• Chop ginger, chillies, cilantro and mint in a chopper or blender
• In a kadai, add some oil and do the tadka, cashew nuts and then add curry leaves followed by ginger chilli paste
• Let it fry for a min and then add turmeric, slivered almonds and potatoes
• Mix everything well together and add salt to taste and then chopped mint and cilantro let the mixture cool
• In the mean while, heat oil in kadai, and in a mixing bowl, add besan, chilli powder, salt, ajwain seeds, baking soda and salt and sift the flour
• Keep adding water until it gets the cinsistency of Pancake batter
• Now make balls out of potato mixture, dip the balls in the batter and drop them into hot oil and cook under medium heat until done
• You can either add more water / flour if you want thinner / thicker besan coating outside the aloo bonda.
• Relish them hot off the kadai with some onion chutney / ketchup!!

P.S. Everyone has unique taste palette, so please adjust the ingredients according to your taste.