Bonda soup is just a perfect winter time snack cum appetizer, which is very soothing and super tasty.

First time I had this Bonda soup at my friends place. It was a rainy winter evening when we visited my friend Vidya’s house. This hot bonda soup was waiting for us 🙂 Yum.. so soothing and so delicious hot soup with Mysore Bonda! I should mention here Vidya is a great cook, prepares exotic foods, each time something different- something new!
This is when I fell in love with Bonda soup. It is no onion no garlic restaurant style Bonda soup which you can enjoy at home 🙂 with simple available ingredients. I am sharing this wonderful healthy recipe, please try and enjoy!

Ingredients:

For making the Soup:

• ¾ cup Moong dal / hesaru bele / Green gram dal
• 2 medium tomatoes
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp oil
• 4 to 5 cups of water
• 3 to 4 tsp Menthe hittu ( click on menthe hittu for the recipe)
• 1¼ to 1½ tsp salt

For seasoning:

• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• ½ tsp  mustard seeds
• 1 inch ginger cut into long thin slices( or grate it)
• 2 to 4 green chillies ( slit into 2 to 3 long pieces)
• 10 to 15 curry leaves
• Pinch of hing OR
• ¼ tsp powdered hing

To make the Bonda:

• ½ cup urad dal / Black Gram dal
• ¼ cup water
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 tbsp coconut pieces
• 5 to 6 Finely chopped curry leaves
• 2 to 3 green chillies( chopped) or you can grind it
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• Oil to fry the bonda

Pressure cooker

Green chilli chopper

Soup Bowls

Method:

Watch video for tips and instructions in kannada

Making the soup:

1. Wash and pressure cook dal along with 2 cups of water, chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and oil on medium heat. ( turn off after one whistle)
2. Heat the ghee in a pan, once hot add hing, mustard seeds, once the seeds pop add jeera.
3. Then add green chillies, ginger, fry it a little, finally add curry leaves and turn off the heat.
4. Add seasoning to the cooked dal, add 2 more cups of water, mix it.
5. Add salt, and add few tablespoons of water to menthe hittu, add more water if needed, mix it and add it to the soup( I used 5 cups of water).
6. Let it boil on medium low heat for 10 minutes.
7. Now add chopped cilantro/coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Soup is ready.

To make the Bonda:

1. Wash and soak the urad dal in 1½ cup water overnight or for 4 to 5 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind the dal along with green chilli adding little water at a time until you get the light and fluffy dough.
3. I used around ¼ cup water
4. Transfer this batter to the bowl, coconut pieces, chopped curry leaves, Ginger and salt. Mix it well using the hand, It helps us to get the light and fluffy batter.
5. Heat the oil required to fry the Bonda  in a pan on medium heat.
6. Once the oil is hot enough, wet the hands with, take a 2 to 3 TBSP of the Bonda batter ( or golf small ball size) put this in the hot oil. (Please watch the video for how to) Add more, depending on the amount of oil you are using for frying.
7. Fry the Bonda until it turns golden brown all around. Remove it from the oil onto a paper towel or colander.
8. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining batter.
9. You can make around 18 Bonda.

Now Bonda soup:

• Heat the soup( we need hot soup)
• Take 2 to 3 bonda in a bowl.
• Pour 2 to 3 ladleful of soup, garnish with chopped coriander leaves / cilantro.
• You can add finely chopped onion on this.
• Enjoy this Hot Bonda soup on a rainy, snowy or cold winter days or you can serve this as an appetizer. !