Boondi Raita (North Indian Yogurt Side Dish)
Boondi Raita is a traditional yogurt based side dish often served with north indian meals. It takes 5-7 minutes to make this refreshing dish. Easily Made Vegan!
Ingredients
- 1.5 cup yogurt use plant based for vegan version
- 7-8 ice cubes or as needed
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala
- ½ teaspoon dried mint or use 7-8 fresh mint chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon bhuna jeera roasted cumin powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder (hot) adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon kala namak rock salt
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoon cilantro finely chopped
- 1 indian green chilli finely chopped, adjust to taste
- ¾ cup boondi plain & salted
Instructions
- Place yogurt in a large bowl. Whisk to smooth. Add a few ice cubes and whisk again, slowly the ice cubes will begin to melt.
- Add all the listed ground spices, salt, sugar and chopped fresh cilantro and green chillies. Start mixing, the ice cubes will melt in due time and the raita will thin out. Mix the spices and herbs well. Taste the yogurt mix and adjust spices to liking. Tip #1 - While mixing the yogurt, add less salt since the boondi already has salt. You can always adjust later. Tip #2 - If you like your raita to have a crunchy texture, refrigerate the yogurt mixture until you are ready to serve. We will add boondi just 5 minutes prior to serving.
- Add the boondi and mix well with the yogurt. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Boondi will get soft. If needed add 2-3 ice cubes more and wait to get an idea of consistency.
- Sprinkle with little cilantro and sprinkle a little red chilli powder on top. Boondi raita is ready. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Storage - Keep boondi raita refrigerated once you have made it until ready to serve. I don't recommend storing boondi raita beyond 7-8 hours. Make a limited quantity and consume it the same day.
Video
Notes
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- Yogurt - Make sure that the yogurt is not watery. Also, the yogurt should not be too tart else the raita will have an overpowering sour taste.
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- Boondi- Always taste the boondi before adding to raita. Many times, the boondi has a bad oil taste or is smelly from sitting on shelf for too long, It will spoil the taste of raita.
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- Raita Consistency - Personally, I prefer a thicker consistency for my raita, but if you prefer a thinner version, you can add more ice cubes to achieve the desired consistency. Make sure to wait for ice cubes to melt and then add more if needed.
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- Spices & flavorings -Feel free to customize your raita by adding or omitting any spices or herbs according to your preference. For example, instead of dried mint, I occasionally sprinkle a bit of crushed kauri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). The flavor of kasoori methi is delightful. You could add some black pepper powder too.
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- Boondi raita is best prepared with plain salted boondi. You could add spices to your liking and make it mild or medium spicy using red chilli powder or green chillies.
- Soak the boondi - If you wish to soak boondi, soak ½ cup boondi in 1.5 cup warm water and allow to soak for 10 minutes or so. Squeeze lightly, let cool completely and add to yogurt.
- Vegan Boondi Raita - For a vegan version, you can use cashew or almond yogurt. However, it's best to avoid using coconut yogurt as it imparts a coconut taste, which may not complement traditional North Indian dishes.
- Use plain kefir - If you enjoy the taste of kefir, you have the option to use it as a substitute for yogurt in your raita
- For added color, taste, and crunch, add finely chopped red onions and tomatoes to your raita.
- Garlicky Twist: To infuse your raita with a delightful garlic flavor, grate a clove of garlic using a microplane and mix it into the yogurt. It adds a wonderful flavor!
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!