Boondi Raita is a healthy and delicious Indian accompaniment made with yogurt and boondi (small fried balls made of chickpea flour). This raita comes together in under 5 minutes and pairs very well with Indian meals. Here is how to make it.
Here are some more of my favorite raita recipes – Bhindi Raita, Beetroot Raita, Tomato Onion Raita, Mooli Raita, and Kaddu Raita.
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About This Recipe
Raita is an Indian accompaniment made using yogurt as the base ingredient. Plain yogurt is whisked until smooth and then flavored with various ingredients. There are a variety of raita recipes in Indian cuisine and it is an everyday fare at most Indian homes.
Boondi Raita is a variety of raita where crispy boondi (fried crispy balls made from gram flour) is added to whisked creamy yogurt along with a few spices.
It is great raita to include in your everyday meals or even to serve with your festive meals. This accompaniment will make any simple meal delicious.
Ingredients
Yogurt and Milk – Use whole, skim, or low-fat yogurt and milk, it’s totally up to you.
Boondi – Boondi are crispy deep-fried balls made using gram flour. They are available online or in any Indian grocery store.
Others – To spice up this raita, you will need – green chilies, salt, roasted cumin powder, mint powder, fennel powder, and red chili powder.
Adjust the green chilies and red chili powder as per your taste. Mint powder and fennel powder are optional but they give a very refreshing taste to the raita.
Make Mint Powder and Roasted Cumin Powder at home using my easy recipes They are much flavorful than the store-bought ones and economical too.
How To Make Boondi Raita
Soak ½ cup boondi in slightly warm water for 30-40 seconds. Boondi is deep-fried and contains excess oil. Soaking it can help you to get rid of that excess oil, making it non-oily. It also removes the smell of stale oil if there is any.
Note – Do not oversoak the boondi otherwise it will become mushy. Use warm and not hot water to soak the boondi.
Tip – If you like crispy boondi in your raita, then make the raita without it and add fresh boondi just before serving.
Squeeze the boondi lightly between your palms and remove any extra water from them. Set aside.
Whisk 1 cup chilled plain yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
Add the boondi to the yogurt.
Add ½ cup chilled milk, salt to taste, 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies, ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon mint powder, ¼ teaspoon fennel powder, and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder to the yogurt and mix well.
Boondi Raita is ready to serve. Serve it chilled or at room temperature along with your North Indian meals.
Pro Tips By Neha
Boondi smells funny when kept for a long time since the oil in it gets spoiled over time. Make sure to check it before adding it to the raita.
Store the boondi in the refrigerator after opening the packet to increase its shelf life.
Whisk the yogurt using a balloon wire whisk. It makes it smooth and creamy.
Increase or decrease green chilies and red chili powder according to your taste.
Adjust the consistency of the raita according to your liking. I like my raita thick but some people like it thin and runny. Take your call on this. Keep in mind that the raita will thicken with time as the boondi will absorb the liquid.
To make this recipe vegan, use vegan yogurt and milk
This recipe can be easily halved, doubled, or tripled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Boondi are small pearls of chickpea flour that are deep-fried in oil till crispy and crunchy. You can make it at home or buy it from any Indian grocery store or even online. Boondi comes in a variety of flavors like plain, mint, masala, etc. I prefer to use plain unsalted boondi to make raita and add the masalas to the yogurt. You can choose whichever flavor of boondi you like.
You can add a tempering to the simple boondi raita and make a totally new version. I have a Burani Raita recipe on the blog which uses a tempering of garlic but you can also temper it with cumin seeds, mustard seeds, asafetida, and dry red chilies. You can also add curry leaves to the tempering.
Boondi ka raita is made of two main ingredients – Yogurt and Boondi. Yogurt is high in protein, calcium, and low in unhealthy fats, making it very healthy to include in your meals. But boondi is deep-fried and contains extra salt, which adds to your calories. So I would suggest eating this raita in moderation and occasionally.
Serving Suggestions
This raita can be served with everyday Indian meals of Dal, Rice, Sabji, and Roti.
You can also serve it with stuffed parathas like Aloo Paratha, Gobi Paratha or Paneer Paratha, or Gujarati Thepla. It also tastes great with Veg Biryani, Chicken Biryani, and Matar Pulao.
Storage Suggestions
This raita stays good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Do not freeze it because dairy products do not freeze well and their texture changes when thawed.
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Recipe Card
Boondi Raita Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup boondi
- 1 cup chilled plain yogurt (whole, skim, or low fat)
- ½ cup chilled milk (whole, skim, or low fat)
- salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon mint powder
- ¼ teaspoon fennel powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
Instructions
- Soak boondi in slightly warm water for 30-40 seconds. Boondi is deep-fried and contains excess oil. Soaking it can help you to get rid of that excess oil, making it non-oily. It also removes the smell of stale oil if there is any.
- Do not oversoak the boondi otherwise it will become mushy. Use warm and not hot water to soak the boondi.
- Squeeze the boondi lightly between your palms and remove any extra water from them. Set aside.
- Whisk yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the boondi to the yogurt.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
- Boondi Raita is ready to serve. Serve it chilled or at room temperature along with your North Indian meals.
