Singhara Atta Aloo Bondaa

It's Navratri and everyone is enjoying the festival to fullest. Be it playing the dandiya garba, the holy chants and kirtans or visiting the fabulous puja pandals. This festival marks the beginning of a series of other upcoming festivals.

Navratri has always been close to my heart. Brought up among gujaratis, I loved playing garba and then later in the form of Durga puja in Kolkata and now in Delhi. Fasting forms an important ritual during these holy nine days.

Today I shall be sharing with you a simple recipe that can be prepared during fasting days or Vrat as we call it in Hindi.

I made Singhara Atta Aloo Bondaa last night. They are very unique in their flavour. Singhara Atta  is readily available in grocery stores during navratri. The Atta looks similar to Ragi atta but has a very pleasant and sweet smell. As you add in water to the singhara atta it's colour will change to a bit darker shade and as you cook it turns even more darker. 

I made a simple Bondaa masala with boiled potatoes, dry fruits, rock salt and few more ingredients. Since no one fasts at our home so we ate them with ketchup. But you can simply have them without any dip. They are crunchy when hot and becomes little chewy after they cool down. However, you can reheat them in oven later but that crisp texture would be lost.

Try these Bondaas today.

Singhara Atta Aloo Bonda 

Makes 12 Bondaas

Ingredients

300 grams of Boiled and mashed potatoes

Rock Salt to taste

1/2 tbsp ginger chilli paste

12-15 cashews

10-12 Raisins

1 tsp Ghee

1/2 tsp Jeera

1 tsp Aamchur powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp Bhuna jeera powder

2 -3 tbsp of finely chopped green coriander

200 grams Singhara Atta

Salt to taste

Pinch Soda Bi Carb (Optional)

1/2 cup water to make batter

Oil to Fry

Method:

• In a Kadai, heat the ghee. When it is hot add the jeera and ginger chilli paste. Saute it for half a minute on low flame.
• Add the cashews and saute them till they turn pink.
• Now add boiled and mashed potatoes, salt, coriander, aamchur powder, blackpepper powder, jeera powder and raisins.
• On a low flame mix the mixture nicely and switch off the flame.
• Let the masala cool a little bit.
• Now make 12 equal portions of the bondaa masala and prepare round balls. Keep them aside. While making the balls take care that you put in atleat one cashew and one raisin in each bondaa.
• In a big bowl, take the singhara atta and add salt to it. I added a little soda bi carb but if you do not eat it during vrat then avoid it.
• Make a thick batter. I used a little more than half cup water.
• Once the batter is ready. Put the kadai with oil for frying on flame.
• Roll one bondaa ball at a time into the batter and put it hot oil. Fry them by occasional stirring.
• Always cook these bondaas on medium to high flame. Else they might get coloured from outside but would remain uncooked from inside.

Serve them hot and crisp.

I had tried making these by replacing black pepper powder with garam masala. Garam masala will add on to the flavour.

Do try this recipe and share your experience in the comment section below.

Wish you and your family a very happy Navratri!