Boondi raita recipe with step by step photos. Boondi raita is a North Indian raita variety made with spiced yogurt and boondi (crisp fried gram flour balls).
Cucumber raita, Onion raita and spiced boondi raita are three of the most sought after raitas in Indian cuisine. Its strange but true, that I don’t have much Raita recipes on the blog.
I make raitas almost every day in summers and somehow I am not able to take pics and update on the blog.
Boondi are tiny fried gram flour balls. They are very easy to make at home or otherwise they are available in most grocery or sweets shops. They are salted and crisp.
Boondi are often served with chaat recipes like dahi bhalla or dahi vada or added in jaljeera or mixed in the pani (spiced water) of the pani puri.
The unsalted boondi goes in the making of boondi ladoo or motichoor ladoo recipe. They are also used in making fried snacks like kara boondi and mixture recipe.
These crisp tiny balls (boondi) are first soaked in warm water. As a result, they swell a little in size and become so soft. Their entire crispiness is lost. They are squeezed off the excess water and then added to the spiced yogurt. So you have a spiced yogurt with the soft boondi melting in your mouth.
Boondi raita is very easy to make. You can serve it with any North Indian dish. But mostly this raita goes very well with rice dishes like biryani or pulao and they actually pep them more.
I served this spiced boondi raita with biryani rice along with an aubergine/brinjal curry. I have used cashew yogurt to make it but you can use normal curd also. When hard pressed for time, you can just have the raita with some steamed basmati rice along with a side veg salad.
How to make boondi raita
1. First warm water in a pan on stovetop or in the microwave. Take the warm water in a bowl.
2. add the boondi in the warm water.
3. Allow them to get soaked for 9 to 12 minutes. Cover the bowl with a lid.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the curd/yogurt in a bowl till smooth.
5. Drain the water from the soaked boondis.
Making spiced boondi raita
6. Lightly press the boondi in your palms, to squeeze the excess water from them. don’t mash them up. Add the boondi to the whisked curd and mix.
7. add all the dry spice powders and salt.
8. stir the raita well.
9. Lastly mix chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves.
10. The boondi raita can be served cold or at room temperature. You can also garnish the raita with sprigs of mint or coriander leaves. It also goes well with biryani or pulao or any rich based dishes like jeera rice.
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Boondi Raita
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain salted boondi
- 1 cup Curd (yogurt) - vegan or dairy
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon saunf powder (fennel powder) - optional
- ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) or mint leaves
- a few coriander leaves or mint leaves for garnish
- black salt or rock salt as required
Instructions
preparation
- First warm water in a pan on stove top or in the microwave.
- Add the boondi in the warm water and let them get soaked for 9 to 12 minutes.
- Drain this water and lightly press the boondi in your palms, to squeeze the water from them. Don't mash them up.
making boondi raita
- Whisk the curd in a bowl.
- Add the boondi and mix.
- Add all the dry spice powders, chopped mint leaves/coriander leaves, including salt. Stir the raita well.
- Garnish the raita with mint leaves or coriander leaves.
- The boondi raita can be served cold or at room temperature. They go well with biryani or pulao or any rich based dishes like jeera rice.
Notes
- If the yogurt is thick, then whisk with some water to make a slightly thin consistency.
- The spice powders can be adjusted as per your taste.
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Hi Ma’am,
Thanks for so wonderful recipes… I have been trying most of the recipes. I would like your help for how may I be able to keep the raita fresh if it is long made… And also need to travel. Like I will be making the raita at home and take it to friends house after 2-3 hours.
Please help.
Your honest recipe follower
Dipti
thanks a lot dipti. boondi raita will stay well for a couple of hours without fridge, especially in a cold season you can keep raita for a few hours at room temperature. however onion raita or onion-tomato raita or cucumber raita are best refrigerated.
Hi dassanaa
Hope u doing well.
I m just a big fan of u…and any new recipe I think of making ….if the recipe I get is the one from vegrecipesofindia then I m damn sure if will be a sure shot success.
Thanks a ton..as you have given us immense confidence to try out new things and bring a smile on sooo many faces…God bless you and keep doing the good work ☺
Just wanted to ask you whether we can add pineapple or apple…just a variety
thanks a lot vidhi for this encouraging comment. felt nice reading your comment. of course you can add pineapple or apple. you can even adding veggies in the raita.