Boondi Raita | Spiced Boondi Raita
Raita is a side dish in Indian cuisine and very common in almost all parts of India. Boondi raita is made from curd and boondi (deep fried droplets made of gram flour).
This is one popular side dish in North Indian Kitchen. This is almost similar to South Indian Pachadi recipes. Pachadi is also a curd based dish. But addition of tadka of mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing distinguish it from North Indian Raita.
Raita is a little thicker in consistency whereas buttermilk is more diluted than raita.
Raita goes well with any type of paratha and even in the main course. It best accompanies rice, biryani and pulao dishes. The addition of raita or buttermilk to the main course in lunch or dinner adds satisfaction and completes the menu indeed.
You can make different varieties of raita. Just change vegetables and fruits as per choice. Read my collection of raita on the blog like veg raita, lauki raita, fruits raita, carrots raita, bathua raita, etc. I have compiled all the raitas in one place. Read my raita collections post on blog.
Read another collection of curd base sides like dahi aloo, dahi baingan, dahi bhindi.
Ingredients to Make Any Raita
Raita (any raita) is a quick and simple recipe. No fancy items required to make this super tangy and yummy side dish. But there are certain ingredients that give a punch to our curd dishes.
And that is hing or asafoetida. It actually balances out the tanginess and a simple tadka of hing and jeera also makes plain curd delicious.
This raita is a quick recipe that takes only 5 minutes or less. It can be seasoned with dry roasted cumin seeds, coriander leaves, mint leaves, cayenne pepper, chat masala, black salt, dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri Methi) etc depending on your taste and type of raita.
However, I add only black salt and crushed roasted cumin seeds.
1st method: Sometimes a pinch of hing spluttered in a drop of oil also adds too much flavor to my boondi raita.
2nd method: On a tawa dry roast cumin seeds, hing, and black salt. Then crush them lightly and mix to your curd preparation.
Normally I take spiced boondi which is a little spicy. You can also take plain boondi (salted or unsalted). Then add a pinch of red chilli powder or cayenne pepper.
Since boondi is crispy you need to soak in little water to make them soft. You may directly add to beaten curd and let it rest for 2 - 3 minutes before serving. If you are using very thick curd you may dilute it little with water.
Let's make this raita and serve with hot Methi Paratha, Aaloo Paratha, or even with Biryani.
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Is Boondi Raita Healthy?
Ahh, I just came across this question many times. Is boondi raita healthy and is it good for weight loss?
Well, Raita itself is healthy food. I mean plain raita and I'm not considering anything added to this. Why raita is a healthy dish? And the answer is "Curd". Since raita is purely made with curd and no other oil and fatty substances are added to this, this is definitely a healthy food that is rich in protein, probiotic (to keep our gut healthy) and many micronutrients that are essential for our body.
I recommend (and I follow too) at least 1 serving of raita (any type including plain raita) every day. This will balance out our food and since rich in protein will give satiety.
Now comes boondi raita. Boondi is nothing but deep-fried gram flour globules that are spiced. We can not expect this to be as healthiest as plain raita or vegetable raita. But if you are not on a weight loss diet then it's absolutely fine to serve yourself with 1 or 2 servings of boondi raita in a week. To make it more guilt-free reduce the quantity of boondi in raita.
If you are on a weight loss diet then go for vegetable raita, lauki raita, mashed brinjal raita (yet to post), oats raita, etc. These will actually help you in shredding some extra grams in your daily routine. I will share oats raita recipe soon for weight loss diet.
Recipe Card for Boondi Raita
Boondi Raita
Ingredients
- 1 cup Curd
- 1/2 cup Boondi 100 – 150gms
- 1 tsp Salt or as per taste
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- 1 pinch Red Chilli Powder (Optional)
- 1 pinch Asafoetida/ Hing
- 1 pinch Chat Masala
- Water – As required
Instructions
- Soak the boondi in fresh or cold water for 5 minutes to soak and become soft.
- Beat yogurt to smooth and mix to the soaked boondi. Adjust water as per the consistency you require.
- Heat a pan and dry roast the cumin seeds. Remove from heat and crush the roasted cumin seed to coarse powder. Add to the curd. Season with salt as per taste.
- Raaita is ready to be served. Sprinkle a pinch of red chilli powder & chat masala. However both are optional and you can skip.
- You can else add tampering of 1/4 tsp oil, a pinch of hing and cumin seeds and add them to the raita
Notes
Happy Cooking Friends.
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