Boondi raita is an Indian yogurt dip with spicy chickpea flour balls as well as other warming spices. Ready in five minutes and goes great with Indian meals!
⅓teaspoonblack saltsubstitute with regular salt or Himalayan pink salt
⅓cuponionchopped
2green chili pepperschopped
1tablespooncilantrochopped
¼teaspooncumin powder
½cupboondiplain, unsalted
3coriander leaves (cilantro leaves) for garnish
3curry leavesfor garnish
¼teaspoongaram masalaoptional
Instructions
Add 2 cups of yogurt to a large mixing bowl, along with ⅓ teaspoon of black salt and ¼ teaspoon of cumin powder.
Use a balloon whisk to whip the yogurt to a silky smooth consistency. If you're using a thicker yogurt, add a spoonful of chilled water or milk to get it to a silky consistency.
Add ½ cup of chopped onion, 2 chopped green chili peppers (Indian or Thai) and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro and fold it into the yogurt.
Top with ½ cup of fresh boondi for a crispy texture. Or, alternatively, soak the boondi in warm water for 5 minutes and drain with a clean kitchen towel to get softer texture. Add this to the yogurt.
Top with a few curry leaves and coriander leaves as a garnish, and serve chilled.
Notes
Use the right yogurt and a balloon whisk. If you're unable to find Indian yogurt, use a low-fat regular yogurt, vegan yogurt, or add a couple of tablespoons of milk to a full-fat yogurt to get it to a silky smooth consistency. Chunky yogurt doesn't work!
Adjust the spices and ingredients to your liking. Don't want onions or green chilis? You can leave it out. Want to add more spice? Add a pinch of red chili powder or cayenne. Want to make it warmer? Add garam masala or chat masala. It's truly versatile!
Store boondi in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer if you're not using it right after opening. Add it as fresh as you can if you want crispy boondi. If you want it to be softer, soak it in warm (not hot!) water for 5 minutes and use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze the water out before adding to the yogurt. This also helps get rid of excess oil from the boondi! But be careful not to oversoak or it'll get too mushy.