Boondi Raita

Boondi raita is one of my favorite condiments. Whenever I am preparing Kachoris with Kaddu Sabji I have to prepare this yummy raita but before I jump on to the recipe, let me tell you what Boondi and Raita means:

What is Boondi?

Boond means a single water droplet. Boondi is prepared with a batter of Besan (Gram Flour) and spices. Once the batter is ready, we hold a perforated spoon (a round spoon with multiple round holes) 3-4 inches above the oil and drop the batter on it slowly and steadily. The batter drops from those small round holes into the hot oil and immediately form a round shape, of the size of water droplets. They are then fried till golden and removed from the oil. I know the process seems quite easy, however you will be surprised to know that I have never attempted this myself. I always buy readymade Boondi from my local Indian store. It’s convenient and since we use only a small amount of Boondi for the raita, it lasts for several months. 

Photo shows a Perforated spoon

Photo shows a type of Boondi packet found in the Indian stores

What is Raita?

Raita is a yogurt based condiment served usually with lunch or dinner. In Northern India, Raita is often prepared with vegetables which can be raw (cucumber, onion, tomato) or cooked (Alu raita, prepared by boiling the potatoes first). Besides serving as an accompaniment to the main course, just like the Indian salad, a raita is quite a dish in itself and can be paired with fried breads (Kachoris) or rice dishes (Biryanis) for an added flavor. Now you can easily find a readymade raita masala in the Indian store and it tastes pretty good, however, you will see that this raita uses only a handful of ingredients which you can easily find in your pantry. I will therefore recommend not to spend money on the readymade masala.

Why Boondi Raita?

Boondi raita is my favorite because it is quick to prepare and delicious to eat. You don’t have to chop vegetables (cucumber, onion, tomato) or boil potatoes to prepare this raita and hence it can be prepared at the very last minute. I specially prepare it for our get together parties because it tastes great with everything. Also the yogurt works miracles for your digestion. Although I personally like a hot version of this raita, you can always skip the red chili so that the yogurt can immediately cool your taste buds and cleanse your palate for another bite. I never have any yogurt sitting in my fridge because I always find a way to use it. 

I love the crunchiness of Boondi and hence I always add it right before serving so that they retain their crunch. However, if you want, you can mix them a bit early so that they soak up the yogurt. Keep it refrigerated till you are ready to serve. Now, without further ado let’s move on to the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Boondi – ½ cup, plain salted 

• Yogurt - 1 cup, plain nonfat
• Water – ½ cup
• Chaat Masala - ½ teaspoon 
• Fennel Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon 
• Red Chili Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Black Pepper Powder – ¼ teaspoon 
• Black Salt – to taste (about ¼ teaspoon)

Directions:

• Take a medium size bowl and add the Yogurt in it.
• Add all the spices (Chaat Masala, Fennel Powder, Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, 
• Black Pepper Powder and Black Salt) along with the water and whisk to mix everything together well. 
• Add the Boondi, mix, cover and refrigerate till ready to serve or just cover and refrigerate the yogurt and mix the Boondi right before serving.

Tips: 

• Use the Nutri bullet (milling blade) to make the Fennel and Black Pepper powder.
• Use Roasted Cumin Powder for a more gourmet flavor. Refer to my article: Make Cumin Powder at Home

Recommended Reading:

• Kadhi (Gram Flour Fritters in Yogurt Sauce)
• Indian Salad
• Make Cumin Powder at Home
• Namkeen Puri (Deep Fried Savory Puffed Bread)
• Methi Saag Paratha (Fenugreek leaves fried Flat Breads)
• Indian Spiced Tzatziki Sauce (Cucumber Raita)