Mangalore Bajji (Goli Baje)

Mangalore Bajji or mangalore bonda are a popular snack from Mangalorean cuisine. These crispy, light, fluffy and delicious fritters are much loved as a tea-time snack all over Karnataka. You will always find them on the menus of Karnataka Tiffin Centers, served as Goli Baje. These are also known as maida bonda since they are made with maida (all-purpose flour).

These homemade Mangalore Bajji are light & crispy yet fluffy and soft inside, the way they are supposed to be. They are eaten with coconut chutney but any other spicy chutney also goes well. Tomato chutney, onion chutney and Pudina chutney are some you can pair with.

It is the all-purpose flour that gives these fritters, the characteristic fluffy texture. There is also a small amount of yogurt used to leaven the soda-bi-carbonate and these ingredients make these Mangalore Bajji even more light and airy. Ingredients like ginger, curry leaves and coconut (optional) are used to flavor the batter.

Traditionally the batter is left to ferment for several hours to overnight. This fermentation process helps the goli baje to get a natural mild tangy flavor and also makes them fluffy & light. To cut short the fermentation time, soda-bi-carbonate is used which also works the same way if sour yogurt is used.

Mangalore Bajji are made similar to Mysore Bonda but I make the latter with whole wheat flour which are delicious and nutty in a different way. Here are some more similar recipes that you may like:

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Photo Guide

How to Make Mangalore Bajji (Stepwise Photos)

I made 2x recipe, so you will find double the amount of ingredients in the pictures. The recipe as given below serves only 2.

Make the Batter

1. Add ¾ cup organic all-purpose flour (maida) and 1 tablespoon rice flour to a large mixing bowl.

2. Add ¼ teaspoon soda-bi-carbonate & ¼ teaspoon sea salt. You can skip soda and ferment the batter for 6 to 8 hours. Mix all of these well.

3. Add ½ teaspoon fine chopped ginger, 1 to 2 chopped green chilies & 1 sprig chopped curry leaves . If fermenting add all these ingredients after fermentation.

4. Add 2 tablespoons grated coconut or 1 tbsp fine chopped raw coconut. You can simply omit this if you don’t have.

5. Add 2 tablespoons fine chopped coriander leaves and 6 tablespoons plain yogurt/curd.

6. Mix to a batter adding water only as needed. Do not pour too much water at one time. So add little by little only as needed. You may need only 3 to 4 tbsps, depending on your yogurt.

7. The batter must be of dropping consistency meaning thick when you take it to a spoon. It should not be of flowing consistency. Cover and rest for 2 hours. I used sour curd so I just set aside for 1 hour.

8. When the batter is ready, beat the batter in circular motion for 30 seconds. This aerates the batter and makes light goli baje. Do not over beat. If you have fermented the batter avoid beating. Add all the other ingredients now. Sometimes the batter turns runny after resting. So if your batter is runny and not thick sprinkle some flour and mix well.

Fry Goli Baje

9. Heat oil in a pan or kadai on a medium flame. Check if the oil is hot by dropping a small portion of the batter. It has to sizzle and rise to the surface without browning. If it sinks it means the oil is not hot enough.

10. Take small portions of batter to your hand, shape and drop to the hot oil. They will double or triple in size so keep the portions small. Add as many as you can without crowding. Avoid touching them for a minute or 2.

11. Later keep stirring and fry evenly on a medium flame until golden and crisp. Remove to a steel colander or cooling rack. Fry the rest in batches.

Serve goli baje immediately with coconut chutney and chai. They can turn chewy if left for long.

Pro Tips

• Flour: The use of maida or white flour gives these fritters a soft and fluffy texture. For health reasons please choose organic maida or at least unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour. If you are not accessible to these simply replace it whole wheat flour or atta.
• I have made these several times with atta. They will turn out good but will have a strong nutty aroma. For details you can check this Mysore bonda.
• Curd or Yogurt is another key ingredient used in this recipe. It can be fresh or sour. For the instant version sour yogurt works well. I used half yogurt and half water to make the batter as the yogurt I used was thick and made from reduced milk.
• You can also use only sour buttermilk (Indian style – made with yogurt) instead of curd and water.
• Soda-bi-carbonate is an optional ingredient that can be used if you do not have the time to ferment the batter. This time I went ahead using the soda as I was making the video and did not prefer to wait for very long. If you prefer not to use soda then just skip it and ferment the batter for 6 hours.
• Coconut is an optional ingredient and can simply be skipped as it doesn’t affect the taste or texture.

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