Goli Baje (Mangalore Bajji, Mangalore Bonda) are soft and spongy deep-fried fritters made using all-purpose flour, rice flour, and chickpea flour. Serve this popular snack from Udupi cuisine as a tea time snack with tea or coffee (vegetarian, can be easily made gluten-free).
Here are a few more Mangalorean recipes that you can try at home – Mangalorean Style Neer Dosa, Valval, Kori Rotti, and Mangalorean Chicken Sukka.
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About Goli Baje (Mangalore Bajji, Mangalore Bonda)
Goli Baje (Mangalore Bonda, Goli Bajje, or Maida Bonda) is a crispy fried snack popular among homes and tiffin centers in the Konkan and Udupi region of South India (which included Mangalore as well).
To make Mangalore Bajji, different flours (mainly all-purpose flour, maida) are mixed together with yogurt, onions, and a few other simple ingredients, and the mixture is fermented for a few hours giving the bondas a tangy taste.
Traditionally, the Mangalore Bonda batter was fermented overnight, but to quicken the process, I add a pinch of baking soda to it and make the bondas by resting the batter for just 2-3 hours.
Crispy from the outside, and soft melt in the mouth from the inside, Mangalore bonda are best served with spicy coconut chutney and filter coffee on the side.
Serve hot goli baje for house parties, weekend meals, or as an evening tea-time snack.
My recipe serves 6 people but you can easily, half, double, or triple the recipe.
Ingredients & Variations
Flour – This goli baje recipe calls for 3 types of flour – All-purpose flour (maida), rice flour (chawal ka atta), and chickpea flour (gram flour, besan).
To make these healthier, you can replace all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, but the bondas will have a strong nutty smell in that case.
Yogurt – Mangalore bonda is best made using slightly sour homemade curd (dahi, yogurt). The yogurt that you get in supermarkets is not tangy. So, if you are using store-bought yogurt, then add a teaspoon of lime juice to it.
Others – You will also need salt, green chillies, onions, cilantro (fresh coriander leaves), curry leaves, sugar, fresh ginger, asafetida (hing), baking soda, and vegetable oil.
I have used baking soda to make the fritters light and fluffy, but you can skip it and ferment the batter on the counter for 5-6 hours.
If baking soda is not fresh, the goli baje won’t turn soft. To test if the soda is fresh, add ½ teaspoon of it to a mixture of ¼ cup water and 2 tablespoon vinegar. It should fizz and bubble.
Adjust the green chilies depending on how spicy you want the baje to be.
You can also add some optional ingredients like grated fresh coconut, small fresh coconut pieces, or cumin seeds to the mixture.
How To Make Goli Baje
Make The Batter
Add
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup rice flour
- ¼ cup chickpea flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies
- 4 tablespoon finely chopped onions
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 10-12 finely chopped curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoon grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
Add 2 cups of sour yogurt (curd) and whisk the batter well to make a smooth thick batter.
Note – If the yogurt is not sour, then add a teaspoon of lime juice to the batter.
Note – The consistency of the batter should be thick dropping and not flowy, like pakodi batter. If it is too thick, add some water to it and if it looks thin, then add some more all-purpose flour.
Cover the bowl with a lid and let the batter ferment for 2-3 hours on the countertop.
In case you find the batter thin after fermentation, then add a little more maida to it. Do not add rice flour as it will make the Mangalore bonda hard.
Fry The Bonda
Heat 3-4 cups of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat for frying the bonda.
Add a pinch of baking soda to the goli baje batter and mix well using your fingers for 1-2 minutes. This process aerates the batter and the bonda turns out fluffy.
Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium flame.
Note – To check if the oil is heated well, drop a small amount of batter in the hot oil. It must rise within 5 seconds without getting browned.
Drop small lime-sized balls (or even smaller balls) in the pan using your fingers or a spoon and fry until golden brown.
Tip – You can wet your hands to easily shape the bajji.
Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the bajji in small batches.
The bonda will increase in size after frying, so drop small balls only.
Stir frequently using a large slotted spoon while frying to ensure they fry evenly on all sides.
Once they are golden brown in color, drain them on a plate lined with paper towels.
Serve hot!
Frequently Asked Questions
These were traditionally called Goli Baje and were available in Mangalore only. When the people from other cities adopted this recipe, they named this dish Mangalore Bonda as it originated from Mangalore.
While Mysore bonda is made using urad dal, the Mangalore Bajji are made using all-purpose flour and sour curd.
To make these vegan, replace dairy yogurt with any plant-based yogurt like soy yogurt, cashew yogurt or almond yogurt.
Serving Suggestions
Goli Baje is a popular tea-time snack and can be served with coconut chutney, red coconut chutney, green coconut chutney, or any other South Indian chutney that you prefer.
Make sure to serve it piping hot. Cold or even slightly less hot bondas don’t taste good.
You can also serve this delicious snack with coriander mint chutney or ketchup. Do not forget to serve a hot cup of filter coffee or tea on the side.
These spongy fritters can also be served for morning breakfast with a cup of tea.
Storage Suggestions
Mangalore Bonda tastes the best when served right out of the pan – hot and crispy. They tend to get soft and chewy if kept for longer.
You can store the bonda batter in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days and fry the bondas whenever you crave them.
If you have leftover fried bondas, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. To reheat them, air fry them for 4-5 minutes. Do not microwave otherwise they will get soggy.
If you don’t have an air fryer, then reheat them in an oven or in a covered pan over the stovetop.
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Recipe Card
Goli Baje Recipe (Mangalore Bajji, Mangalore Bonda)
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
- ¼ cup rice flour (chawal ka atta)
- ¼ cup chickpea flour (besan, gram flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped green chilies
- 4 tablespoons finely chopped onions
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
- 10-12 finely chopped curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
- 2 cups sour yogurt (curd, dahi)
- 1 pinch baking soda
- vegetable oil (for frying)
Instructions
Make The Batter
- Add all-purpose flour, rice flour, chickpea flour, salt, green chilies, onions, cilantro, curry leaves, sugar, ginger, and asafetida to a large mixing bowl and mix well.
- Add sour yogurt and whisk the batter well to make a smooth thick batter.
- Note – If the yogurt is not sour, then add a teaspoon of lime juice to the batter.
- Note – The consistency of the batter should be thick dropping and not flowy, like pakodi batter. If it is too thick, add some water to it and if it looks thin, then add some more all-purpose flour.
- Cover the bowl with a lid and let the batter ferment for 2-3 hours on the countertop.
- In case you find the batter thin after fermentation, then add a little more maida to it. Do not add rice flour as it will make the Mangalore bonda hard.
Fry The Bonda
- Heat 3-4 cups of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat for frying the bonda.
- Add baking soda to the batter and mix well using fingers for 1-2 minutes. This process aerates it and the bonda turns out fluffy.
- Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium.
- Note – To check if the oil is heated well, drop a small amount of batter in the hot oil. It must rise within 5 seconds without getting browned.
- Drop small lime-sized balls (or even smaller balls) in the pan using your fingers or a spoon and fry until golden brown.
- Tip – You can wet your hands to easily shape the bajji.
- Do not overcrowd the pan. Fry the bajji in batches.
- The bonda will increase in size after frying, so drop small balls only.
- Stir frequently using a large slotted spoon while frying to ensure they fry evenly on all the sides.
- Once they are golden brown in color, drain them on a plate lined with paper tissues.
- Serve hot!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!