Boondi raita is the perfect raita to top curries and biryanis.
Boondi raita is a special raita that you don’t see often at curry houses but you need to try it. This is an easy raita that is great served with poppadoms, samosas or spooned over a biryani or curry.
The crispy boondi are the star here. Some people prefer the boondi soft though. Here I will explain all so that you can enjoy boondi raita next time you prepare a curry feast.
What is boondi raita?
Any raita could be a boondi raita but they are usually very much like this one. Boondi are crispy, hallow balls that are fried and made out of flour.
Little pieces of dough are added to hot oil and they puff up into balls on contact. I think you will agree that they do look amazing on top of this raita. I love the crispy texture they give to a raita.
Boondi is not always served crispy.
I tried boondi raita a few times on my recent trip to northern India. In fact, I got to see them made at many different street stalls. They are loved for the crispy texture they add to this raita and other street food snack.
At a few places, the boondi were first soaked in milk before adding to the raita. I am not a big fan of this but it is a thing and you might like to try it.
How do you add the boondi to the raita?
For what I believe are best results, you need to add a little boondi to the yoghurt itself right before you serve it. You then garnish the boondi raita with more boondie.
The boondi in the yoghurt stay crisp for at least 20 minutes and they are nice to bite into.
The boondi that you use as a garnish stay crispy.
How long can you keep this raita in the fridge?
You can keep boondi raita, without the boondi for at least three days. In fact, it you prefer the soft version, you can add the boondie before storing in the fridge.
My personal preference is to get the raita prepared and stored away. Then I add the boondi right before serving.
Can you freeze this raita?
It is not a good idea to freeze raitas. Yoghurt does not freeze well.
Should you add garam masala or chaat masala to this dish?
Every boondi raita I have tried was made with chaat masala. I love chaat masala which is made with black salt and has a bit of a funky flavour and aroma like sulphur.
It is not to everyone’s liking so I added garam masala as an option but if you want the real thing, go for chaat masala.
How do you adjust the thickness of this raita?
Raita are usually prepared with a thick curd or yoghurt such as Greek yoghurt. Greek yoghurt is thick and creamy.
If you find that your boondi raita is too thick, you can always add a little milk. Simply stir in some milk, a little at a time until you are happy with the consistency.
Want to try some other popular raitas, chutneys and pickles?
I have lots of delicious recipes for you that would be perfect for your next curry feast.
Raitas: Potato Raita, Cucumber Raita, Onion Raita, Honey and Mustard Raita, Pakora Sauce, Chilli Raita and Mint Raita.
Chutneys: Red Onion Chutney, Roasted Tomato Chutney, Onion Chutney, Tamarind Sauce, Tamarind Chutney, Coriander Chutney, Coriander and Coconut Chutney, Ginger Chutney, Garlic Chutney, Mango Chutney, Coriander, Mint and Mango Chutney, Coriander and Mint Chutney.
Pickles: Lime Pickle, Vegetable Pickle, Onion Pickle and Mango Pickle.
Step by step photographs.
Get all your ingredients together and prepared. This saves time.
Whisk the yoghurt until smooth and add the ground spices.
Add the coriander and about 2 tbsp of the boondi. Stir well to combine and season with salt and lime juice to taste.
Garnish with more crispy boondi, coriander (cilantro) and a little chilli powder if you like.
If you like this boondi raita recipe, you might like to try some of these popular dishes with it.
Meat Samosas
Chicken Samosas
Samosa Chaat
Homemade Poppadoms
Easy Poppadoms
Beef Biryani
Pakistani Chickpea Biryani
Chicken Biryani
Keema Biryani
Lamb Biryani
Spicy Lamb Chops
Chicken Tikka
Chicken Seekh Kebabs
Lamb Seekh Kebabs
Haggis Pakora
Baked Onion Bhajis
Onion Bhajis
Air-Fryer Onion Bhajis
Have you tried this boondi raita recipe?
If so, please give it a star rating in the comments below and leave a comment. I love receiving your feedback and I’m sure other readers of my blog do too. Thank you.
If you are not already doing so, please follow me on Instagram and Facebook for all my latest recipes.
Boondi Raita
Ingredients
- 250g (1 cup) plain natural yoghurt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ tsp chaat masala or garam masala
- 3 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
- ½ cup boondi
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 tsp lime juice (optional)
Instructions
- Place the yoghurt in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the ground cumin, chilli powder and chaat or garam masala and stir it in to combine completely.
- Stir in half of the coriander (cilantro) and then add all but 3 tbsp of the boondi. Again, stir well to combine.
- Taste the raita and adjust the spiciness and add salt and pepper to taste.
- If you prefer a nice sour kick, add the lime juice.
- Top the boondi raita with the remaining boondi and coriander (cilantro). You can also give it some colour but dusting the top with garam masala, chilli powder and ground cumin.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 32Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 115mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 2g