Tamatar bonda, a rainy season snack is sold mainly by small shops near the Banaras Hindu University. Best enjoyed with a piping hot cup of adrak chai, this delicious snack is hugely popular among locals.
A couple of medium – sized potatoes are boiled, peeled, mashed and allowed to cool. Paneer is also added for the filling by some vendors. The top portion is cut off and the pulp is scooped out from a few small to medium sized tomatoes and kept aside.
A little oil is heated in a large kadai to which cumin and coriander seeds, finely chopped onions, garlic, green chillies and ginger are added. Cumin powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder are added. The masala is mixed into the mashed potatoes and garnished with fresh coriander.
Some vendors prefer to add the finely chopped onions, green chillies, ginger, salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and coriander without frying them to the mashed potatoes. A smooth batter of besan, ajwain, salt and turmeric is prepared. Some also put in ginger garlic paste and black pepper powder in the batter.
The tomatoes are filled with a little of the potato mix, dipped into the batter and then deep – fried till they turn golden in colour. It is served with chutney or ketchup.
Written by Lakshmi Subramanian
sahasa.in 
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