Preparation time: 2.5 hours
Cooking time: 30 min
Serves: 10

Ingredients for bonda: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 1 cup urad dal
2. Big pinch of asafoetida
3. 1 tbsp chopped curry leaves
4. 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
5. 1 tsp chopped ginger
6. 2 tbsp chopped fresh coconut pieces
7. 1 green chilli finely chopped
8. 1 tsp salt (or as per your taste)
9. Oil for deep frying

Ingredients for soup: (measuring cup used = 240ml)

1. 3/4 cup moong dal or hesarubele
2. 1 tsp mustard seeds
3. 1 tsp cumin seeds
4. 7 - 8 curry leaves
5. 1 tsp chopped ginger
6. 2 slit green chillies
7. 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
8. Big pinch of asafoetida
9. 1 tomato chopped
10. 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
11. 1 tsp lemon juice
12. 1 tsp salt (or as per your taste)
13. 1 tbsp oil

Instructions for making bonda soup:

1. Rinse and soak the urad dal for 2 - 3 hours.
2. After soaking drain the water completely and transfer it into a mixie jar.
3. Grind it into a fine and thick batter by adding minimum required water. Transfer the ground urad dal batter into a container. Beat it well using hands for 2 - 3 minutes.
4. Transfer the ground urad dal batter into a container. Add in salt and asafoetida.
5. Also add in finely chopped green chilli, curry leaves, ginger, coconut pieces and coriander leaves.
6. Give it a quick mix. Optionally a tbsp of rice flour can be added if the batter is thin. But make sure you mix it well after adding the rice flour.
7. Now heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Wet your fingers and drop the batter into the hot oil.
8. After a while flip the bondas and fry on all sides under medium flame.
9. Take them out when the bubbles are reduced and the colour changes to golden brown. Serve it with the soup.
10. Now to make the soup, rinse the moong dal. Add 3 times the water.
11. Add a pinch of turmeric, few drops of oil and cook until soft.
12. Once cooked, mash it well and keep it aside.
13. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Wait until mustard seeds splutter.
14. Add in slit green chillies, chopped ginger and curry leaves.
15. Also add in turmeic powder and asafoetida.
16. Followed by add in chopped tomato and fry until tomatoes turn soft.
17. Add in cooked dal and required water.
18. Add salt as per taste.
19. Bring it to rolling boil and switch off the stove.
20. Top it with coriander leaves and lemon juice.
21. In a bowl, serve the bondas with soup.

Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.