Boondi Raita Recipe

April 10, 2023

Boondi raita is made by soaking crispy chickpea flour balls in spice-infused creamy yogurt. Serve it with biryanis or with rotis and a side dish – it’s the proper solution to wrap up your meal.

An overshot of boondi raita garnished with cilantro and served in a black bowl with a golden spoon. — Boondi Raita

What’s boondi?

Boondi is derived from the Hindi word boond which implies droplet. It is known as that rightfully so since boondis are tiny, crispy, hole droplets constructed from chickpea flour (Besan). Boondis are available two varieties – a sweet version (used to make laddoos) and a savory version which is what Boondi raitas are constructed from.

Tips on how to make boondi

To make boondis, chickpea flour is mixed with water to form a batter. For the savory version, salt, and a tiny little bit of chili powder can be added to the combo and for the sweet one, saffron is used to get that pretty golden yellow color. This batter is then passed through a perforated ladle held over hot oil. The perforated ladle allows the batter to fall within the oil like droplets. It’s then deep-fried till they’re crispy. Sweet boondis involve a further step of soaking the boondis in sugar syrup to sweeten them.

Process shot of making Boondi raita - A bronze glass is loaded with boondi. A packet of boondi is shown with boondi spilling out along with a glass bowl with yogurt and a whisk — Boondi

Storebought boondi – which type to purchase?

While you’ll be able to make boondi at home, most people depend on the store-bought version to make boondi raita at home. You’ll find two versions of savory boondi – a plain one (evenly salted) and masala boondi. Most folk prefer the plain one of their raita but you’ll be able to all the time mix it up by utilizing the masala one – be certain that to regulate your spices accordingly.

Note – Be sure that to purchase boondi inside just a few months of its manufacture date. They begin to smell/taste a bit weird whether it is older than 6 months.

Tips on how to make boondi raita

Add milk, salt, chaat masala, chili powder, sugar, and dried mint leaves to yogurt and whisk the yogurt till it’s smooth and creamy.
If using plain boondi, soak it in warm water for about 5 minutes after which squeeze them gently to remove the water.
Add the squeezed boondi to the yogurt mixture. Mix well.
Refrigerate for an hour. Serve chilled.

Testers notes

Milk is added to scale back the sourness of the yogurt and in addition to dilute it.
Soaking the boondi in warm water does two things – removes oil from the boondi and in addition, softens it. Should you like boondi raita with a little bit of crunch, don’t soak the boondis in water. Just add them on to the yogurt and blend well. This step is generally done just for plain boondis and never for masala ones.

Variations

You should utilize masala or khara (spicy) boondi as a substitute of plain boondi. Masala boondi is already spicy so be certain that to scale back the quantity of chili powder accordingly.
Replace chaat masala with black salt. Don’t use each – it’s an overkill.
Use fresh mint leaves as a substitute of dried ones.
Boondi raita recipe

Take a look at just a few more raita recipe ideas to go along with your Indian meals below or click here to search out a listing of ten raita recipes – some classics, just a few recent, and a few with a twist.

Cucumber raita recipe – This delicious mix constructed from grated cucumber and yogurt is our favourite raita to pair with any Indian meal.
Pineapple raita – Eat it as a dessert or pair it with biryanis – it tastes delicious either way.
Cucumber tomato raita – An easy raita recipe constructed from on a regular basis pantry ingredients.
Onion raita – If you could have been craving some Indian raita to go along with your biryani, then this recipe is for you. Make it with ingredients that you could have at home and in lower than 5 minutes. It’s the proper solution to finish off a delicious Indian meal.
Mango raita – Should you love mangoes, then this mango raita recipe has your name written throughout it. Enjoy it as a dessert or as a side dish together with a spicy Indian meal.
Mint Raita – This refreshing yogurt-based dip constructed from mint is a worthy accompaniment to delicious biryanis, parathas, and other grilled Indian foods. Learn the right way to make it in under 5-minutes.

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