This green banana bonda recipe is a delicious and wholesome snack made using raw bananas (baale kaayi), subtly spiced with green chillies, ginger, ajwain, and fresh herbs. The cooked and mashed banana forms a soft, starchy base, which is combined with grated carrot and besan (gram flour) to bind the mixture into small, flavorful balls. These are then deep-fried to a perfect golden brown, resulting in crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside fritters. This recipe is a great way to use green bananas creatively and even includes a sustainable tip—save the banana peels to make a tasty chutney on the side. With the given measurements, you can prepare around 35 bondas, making it perfect for sharing with family or guests over tea.
Ingredients:
- 3 green bananas (baale kaayi)
- 5 green chillies, finely chopped
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
- ½ carrot, grated
- Curry leaves and coriander leaves, finely chopped
Optional: Grated garlic and chopped onion
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ½ tsp ajwain (omkalu)
- Around 2 tbsp besan (kadle hittu)
- Oil, for frying
Method:
- Wash the green bananas and cut them into large pieces.
- Place them in a pressure cooker, add enough water, and cook on medium heat for 2 whistles. Then turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
- Once cooled, peel the bananas and set the peels aside—you can use them later to make a delicious chutney.
- Mash the cooked bananas in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add the finely chopped green chillies, grated ginger, grated carrot, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, red chilli powder, ajwain, and (if using) garlic and onion. Mix well.
- Gradually add the besan (gram flour), mixing it in little by little, until you get a dough that holds together and can be shaped into small balls.
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, gently drop in the prepared balls.
- Fry them, stirring occasionally, until all sides are evenly golden brown.
- Remove the bondas and place them on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Repeat the frying process with the remaining mixture.
- You should be able to make approximately 35 bondas with this quantity.