Name: Batter-Fried Chile-Smothered Vegetables with a Coconut Sauce (Thenga Bonda)
Yield: Makes 20 Fritters (Serves 10)
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cayenne (ground red pepper); ½ cup rice flour; ¼ teaspoon ground asafetida; 1½ teaspoons rock salt, pounded; or 2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt; ¼ cup finely chopped fresh curry leaves; ½ cup frozen green peas (no need to thaw); 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger; ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric; ½ cup finely chopped red onion; 1 pound russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, boiled until tender, and mashed; 6 to 8 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed, finely chopped (do not remove the seeds); Canola oil for deep-frying; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 cup shredded fresh coconut; or ½ cup shredded dried unsweetened coconut, reconstituted (see Note); 2 tablespoons dry-roasted yellow split peas (see Tip); 1 teaspoon coarse kosher or sea salt; ¼ teaspoon tamarind paste or concentrate; 1 teaspoon black or yellow mustard seeds; 1 cup chickpea flour, sifted; 1 or 2 fresh green Thai, cayenne, or serrano chiles, to taste, stems removed; 1 tablespoon canola oil

Preparation info

Makes 20 Fritters (Serves
10
)

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

660 Curries

By Raghavan Iyer

Published 2008

About

Some version of these addictive fritters is a must at breakfast on the day of a Tamil wedding. Occupying the center position on the platter that is lined with a cut-out piece of banana leaf, these golden brown bondas are served with a mound of coconut sauce alongside. When the server with the plateful of these bondas walks by, it’s no wonder you can never refuse “just one more,” alternating mouthfuls of chile-hot bondas with sips of strong coffee.