Boondi Raita (Boondi Ka Raita, Dahi Bundi) is a healthy and delicious North Indian accompaniment made using 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
Boondi Raita (Boondi Ka Raita, Dahi Bundi) is a North Indian accompaniment made using yogurt (curd), boondi, and a few spices.
Wondering what are Boondi (Bundi)? Boond in Hindi means water droplets. Boondi are fried gram flour balls that are tiny, round, and spherical in shape, just like water droplets, hence the name.
Boondi Raita is a great side dish to include in your everyday meals or even to serve with your festive meals. This accompaniment will make any simple meal delicious.
Apart from cucumber raita and tomato onion raita, boondi ka raita is also one of my favorites. In fact, I love experimenting with raita recipes and have compiled a list of 20+ raita recipes. Do check them out as well.
Ingredients
Yogurt and Milk – Use whole, skim, or low-fat plain yogurt (curd) and milk, it’s totally up to you. You can also use plant-based milk and yogurt to make vegan raita.
You can replace plain yogurt with Greek yogurt if you have that handy.
Boondi – Boondi are crispy deep-fried chickpea flour balls (gram flour balls, Besan balls). They come in 2 varieties
- Plain Boondi
- Masala Boondi or Khara Boondi
While the plain boondi are used to make raita, salted boondi are served as a tea-time snack.
You can source boondi from Indian grocery stores or check online at Amazon.
Others – To spice up this boondi raita, you will need – green chilies, salt, roasted cumin powder, mint powder, fennel powder, and red chilli powder.
Adjust the green chillies and 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 more flavorful than the store-bought ones and economical too.
You can also replace the mint powder with chopped mint leaves.
Add some chopped onions to make onion boondi raita.
To spice up the raita, you can also add some spice powders like chaat masala powder, black pepper powder and black salt.
How To Make Boondi Raita
Soak ½ cup plain boondi in warm water (NOT HOT) for 30-40 seconds.
Boondi are deep-fried and contain excess oil. Soaking them helps to get rid of that excess oil, making them non-oily. Soaking also removes the smell of stale oil if there is any.
When the boondi are soaked well, they swell in size and become super soft.
Note – Do not oversoak the boondi otherwise they will become mushy and disintegrate. Use warm (NOT HOT) water to soak the boondi.
Tip – If you like crispy crunchy boondi in your raita, then make the raita without soaking them. Whisk the yogurt with spices and add boondi to the spiced yogurt just before serving.
Squeeze the boondi lightly between your palms and remove any extra water from them.
Discard the water and set the boondi 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, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies, ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder, ¼ teaspoon mint powder (optional), ¼ teaspoon fennel powder (optional), and ¼ teaspoon red chili powder to the yogurt and mix well.
Note – Some people do not mix yogurt with milk as per their Ayurvedic beliefs. In that case, you can replace chilled milk with chilled water.
Note – Adjust the green chilies and red chili powder as per your taste.
Check for salt and add more if required. Mix well. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the tastes.
If you like thinner raita, then add some more milk or water to thin it down.
Dahi Boondi Raita is ready to serve.
Transfer it to the serving bowl and garnish it with chopped cilantro (coriander leaves), some crispy Boondi, and a sprinkle of chili powder.
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 boondi raita 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 give 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 recipe 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
Boondi ka raita can be served with an everyday Indian meal 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 rice recipes like Veg Biryani, Chicken Biryani, and Matar Pulao.
Storage Suggestions
Boondi 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 (Dahi Bundi)
Ingredients
- ½ cup plain boondi
- 1 cup chilled plain yogurt (whole, skim, or low fat)
- ½ cup chilled milk (whole, skim, or low fat or chilled water)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chilies (or adjust as per your taste)
- ¼ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon mint powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon fennel powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (or adjust as per your taste)
Instructions
- Soak boondi in slightly warm water (NOT HOT) for 30-40 seconds.
- Boondi are deep-fried and contain excess oil. Soaking them helps to get rid of that excess oil, making them non-oily. Soaking also removes the smell of stale oil if there is any.
- When the boondi are soaked well, they swell in size and become super soft.
- Note – Do not oversoak the boondi otherwise they will become mushy and disintegrate. Use warm (NOT HOT) water to soak the boondi.
- Tip – If you like crispy boondi in your raita, then make the raita without soaking them. Whisk the yogurt with spices and add boondi to the spiced yogurt just before serving.
- Squeeze the boondi lightly between your palms and remove any extra water from them. Discard the water and set the boondi aside.
- Whisk plain yogurt in a bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Add the boondi to the yogurt.
- Add milk, salt, green chilies, roasted cumin powder, mint powder, fennel powder, and red chili powder to the yogurt and mix well.
- Note – Some people do not mix yogurt with milk as per their Ayurvedic beliefs. In that case, you can replace chilled milk with chilled water.
- Check for salt and add more if required. Mix well. You can also add a pinch of sugar to balance the taste.
- If you like thinner raita, then add some more milk or water to thin it down.
- Dahi Boondi Raita is ready to serve. Transfer it to the serving bowl and garnish it with chopped cilantro (coriander), some crispy Boondi, and a sprinkle of chili powder.
- Serve it chilled or at room temperature along with your North Indian meals.
Amrita
This was mind blowing Neha!
Neha Mathur
Thnx a lot 🙂
meera
This is the first and only time I have been captivated by boondi raita. You needed to know thi, hence I stopped to email you. This is just very very good. God bless you and your efforts.
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂
Jamie Randhawa
how long should i soak the boondi?
Neha Mathur
For 30-40 seconds in warm water.