Boondi raita is a spiced yogurt with boondi or fried chickpea balls. Boondi raita is easily my favorite raita. The cool flavors and soft boondi are refreshing and flavorful enough to be a meal on its own.
Why You Should Make Boondi Raita
If you haven’t had boondi raita before, you have to try it. I make it every time I make bhajiya or pakora. I always just make a little extra batter and drop it into my frying oil when I’m done making my bhajiya. Later on in the day, or perhaps the next day, I will whip together a bowl of boondi raita.
![Boondi raita](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/stp-boondi-raita-4668-2-400x600.jpg)
About the Ingredients
![](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/boondi-raita-ingredients-740x493.jpg)
Boondi
If you aren’t one to make bhajiya and don’t want to set out to make boondi yourself, you can always buy it from an Indian market. Boondi is a common snack food in India. They are either eaten on their own or added to various snacks and snack mixes, like bhel and chevda.
That said, I always make my own boondi. See this post for instruction on how to make boondi.
The Yogurt
I use greek yogurt because I think raita should be made thick. Indian yogurt, or dahi, is typically only slightly thinner than greek yogurt. Some people like a thinner raita. I think that is because they are used to getting raita from restaurants and restaurants often thin out their raita to save money.
For a thinner raita, you can use a thinner yogurt. You can also add water toward then end of the recipe in order to thin out the raita to your liking.
About This Recipe
This is a recipe I make often. It is based on a family recipe that I have been making since I was a teenager. Any time my mom made bhajiyas, I insisted on her making some extra for boondi that we could have either that same day or the next day for lunch.
![Bowl of boondi raita](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/stp-boondi-raita-4662-740x493.jpg)
Typically when I make boondi for raita, I don’t bother making the perfectly round balls. When I am making these for myself, I just drip the batter off of a fork into the frying oil. The “boondi” made this way are usually elongated and irregularly shaped, but it’s the taste I love.
In order to get the perfect rounds, I had to thin my usual batter a little bit with water, and then run it through a spoon with holes in it. I experimented with a number of different devices: my jharo (frying spatula), a slotted spoon, and even a hand-grater. They all worked just as well. The important thing is having the right consistency for the batter so that it drips smoothly through the holes of your spoon.
Recipe
![Boondi raita](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/stp-boondi-raita-4668-2-250x250.jpg)
Boondi Raita
Ingredients
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 2 heaping Tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 tsp chopped mint optional
- 1 Tbsp chopped green chili or to taste
- 1 tsp cumin whole seeds, toasted
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 cup fried boondi
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Put boondi in a bowl and soak for 30 minutes in 2 cups of water.
- Drain the water and gently squeeze out as much of the remaining water from the boondi as you can.
- Whisk yogurt until smooth.
- Coarsely grind toasted cumin in a mortar and pestle.
- To the yogurt, stir in cumin, salt, green chili, mint, and cilantro.
- Add the boondi. Stir to combine.
- Garnish with mint and cilantro.
Video
Nutrition
Cooking Tips and Variations
- Make sure to soak the boondi long enough so that it becomes soft. And squeeze out all of the water, so you don’t end up with watery raita.
- In my family we always serve thick raita. Add water to get the consistency you prefer.
- Some people add sugar to a sweetened raita.
- Adjust the amount of chilies to your liking or leave them out.
- Add chaat masala, red chili powder, or anything you like to make it your own.
![Full bowl of boondi raita](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/stp-boondi-raita-4668-400x600.jpg)
![Full bowl of boondi raita](https://indiaphile.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/stp-boondi-raita-4668-400x600.jpg)
How to Eat Boondi Raita
You can treat boondi raita like a typical raita and serve it alongside a meal. It goes great with rice dishes like chicken tikka biryani or vagharelo bhaat.
I love to make a simple meal out of boondi raita by eating it with roti or paratha. And I am not ashamed to admit I will eat it straight out of a bowl with a spoon!
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