Recipe for Bonda Soup with Information about Ingredient Sourcing in Germany

Name: Recipe for Bonda Soup
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 Cup Urad Dal; washed and soaked in 2 cups of water for 4-5 hours); 2 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves; 1 tsp Crushed Black Peppercorns; Salt; to taste; 2 tbsp Chopped Curry Leaves; 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; Oil; for Frying; 1 Cup Moong Dal; washed and soaked in 2 cups of water for 4-5 hours; 1½ tbsp Oil; ⅓ tsp Asafoetida; 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger; 1 tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic; 2-3 Green Chillies; Slit; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 8-10 Curry Leaves; 1 Medium-Sized Onion; Finely Chopped; 1 Medium-Sized Tomato; Finely Chopped; Salt; to taste; ⅔ tsp Turmeric Powder; 1 tbsp Grated Coconut; ½ Lemon; Juice Extracted; 2-3 Cups Water; Fresh Coriander Leaves; for garnishing; Ghee; while serving

Bonda Soup is a popular breakfast recipe from the southern state of Karnataka in India. Many restaurants in Bangalore serve Bonda soup along with other breakfast delicacies like Idli, dosa, Khara Bath (Upma), and Vada.

Bonda soup is a fritter (like Medu Vada) made with Urad dal, soaked in a soup made with Moong Dal. The process for making Bonda is the same as that of making Medu Vada. The only difference is in the shape. Bonda is typically shaped like a ball and is quite big. Therefore, in restaurants, usually, one bonda is given for each serving. The soup is made by cooking moong dal in mild spices. The fried and cooled Bondas are dipped in piping hot soup and served. The combination tastes excellent when topped with a spoon of Ghee.

So, let’s start with the recipe:

Kitchen Equipment Needed:

Read about all the equipment I use in my Kitchen in Germany in my article: Setting Up My Indian Kitchen in Germany.

Ingredients for making Bonda Soup:

Ingredients for Bonda:

1 Cup Urad Dal; washed and soaked in 2 cups of water for 4-5 hours)
2 tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Coriander Leaves
1 tsp Crushed Black Peppercorns
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Chopped Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Oil for Frying

Ingredients for Soup:

1 Cup Moong Dal; washed and soaked in 2 cups of water for 4-5 hours
1½ tbsp Oil
⅓ tsp Asafoetida
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic
2-3 Green Chillies; Slit
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
8-10 Curry Leaves
1 Medium-Sized Onion; Finely Chopped
1 Medium-Sized Tomato; Finely Chopped
Salt; to taste
⅔ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Grated Coconut
½ Lemon; Juice Extracted
2-3 Cups Water
Fresh Coriander Leaves; for garnishing

Additional Ingredients:

Ghee; while serving

Method for making Bonda Soup:

Method to make Bonda:

Drain out the excess water from the Urad Dal.
Grind it into a fine paste. If you find it difficult to make a fine paste without adding extra water, add water spoon by spoon. Use as little water as possible.
Transfer this paste to a big mixing bowl.
Add ginger, coriander, curry leaves, black pepper, cumin seeds and salt.
Mix well. With your hand, beat this mixture well for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes light and foamy. Alternatively, you can use an electric whisk.
To test whether the batter is ready, take a bowl of water and put a small portion of the whisked batter on it. If it floats, the batter is ready.
Heat oil in a pan.
Take portions of the batter and drop them into medium-hot oil.
Fry them till they are golden brown. Remove them on a paper towel and let them cool.

Method to make Soup:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. On medium heat, fry ginger, garlic, green chillies, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Add onions. Fry till they are translucent.
Add tomatoes.
Add turmeric powder and salt. Reduce the heat. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.
Now, add the soaked moong dal.
Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook the dal.
After the dal is cooked, add some more water and boil it if it looks thick.
Add grated coconut, fresh coriander and lemon juice.
Taste and adjust the salt. Boil for 1-2 minutes. The soup is ready.

Instructions for serving:

Put 2-3 Bondas in a serving bowl.
Pour a generous amount of soup on it.
Drizzle about one teaspoon of ghee.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve.

Bonda Soup is ready!

Additional Information about Ingredient Sourcing in Germany:

Urad Dal: Available in Indian Shops.
Fresh Coriander Leaves: Available in Indian Turkish shops and some supermarkets.
Black Peppercorns: Available in Indian shops and supermarkets. Called schwarzer Pfeffer in German.
Salt: Available in supermarkets. Called Salz in German. Read my article: 10 Types of Salts in German Supermarkets-Explained.
Curry Leaves: Both fresh and dried ones are available in Indian shops.
Ginger: Available in supermarkets. Called Ingwer in German.
Cumin Seeds: Available in Indian Turkish shops and some supermarkets. Called Kreuzkummel in German.
Oil: Available in supermarkets. Called Frittieröl/Bratöl in German. Read my article: Different Types of Oils in German Supermarkets-Explained.
Moong Dal: Available in Indian shops and some supermarkets.
Oil for making soup: Use any neutral oil like sunflower oil. Available in supermarkets. Called Sonnenblumenöl in German.
Asafoetida: Available in Indian shops.
Garlic: Available in supermarkets. Called Knoblauch in German.
Green Chillies: Available in Indian shops.
Onion: Available in supermarkets. Called Zwiebeln in German.
Tomatoes: Available in supermarkets. Called Tomaten in German.
Turmeric Powder: Available in Indian shops and some supermarkets. Called Kurkuma Pulver in German.
Coconut: Fresh and frozen coconut is available in Indian shops. In supermarkets, you can find coconut flakes, called Kokosraspeln in German.
Lemon: Available in supermarkets. Called Zitronen in German.
Ghee: Read all about sourcing Ghee in my article: A Guide to Sourcing Ghee in Germany- Buying Options and Making at Home Explained.

Here is the recipe in printable format: