Boondi, Namkeen Boondi, Kara Boondi

by Tarla Dalal

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Boondi is a snack that needs no introduction! While some would be content to munch on it plain, others like to season it with chaat masala. It is also an essential ingredient in making raitas like Boondi Raita and Boondi and Pomegranate Raita and Pani Puri .

Making Boondi at home is easy but requires a bit of practice initially. Nevertheless, it is a skill worth acquiring because homemade Boondi is super yummy.

There are some things you need to take care of while making Boondi. The batter should be of the correct consistency, so add water little by little.

After each use, make sure you wash and wipe the Boondhi Jhara dry before preparing the next batch. Remove the Boondi from the oil when it is crisp but yellowish in colour—do not wait till it starts becoming brownish.

Once done, cool completely and store in an airtight container to enjoy as as snack or use in other recipes.

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Boondi, Namkeen Boondi, Kara Boondi recipe - How to make Boondi, Namkeen Boondi, Kara Boondi

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Preparation Time: 5 mins Cooking Time: 25 mins Total Time: 30 mins 4Makes 3.50 cups (49 tbsp )
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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups besan (bengal gram flour)
salt to taste
1/2 tbsp oil
oil for deep-frying

Method

Combine the besan, salt and approx. ¾ cup of water in a deep bowl and mix well using a whisk.
Add the oil and mix well.
Heat the oil in a deep non-stick pan and pour a ladleful of the batter at a time over a large round perforated spoon (boondi jhara) so that boondi drops in the oil and deep-fry on a medium flame till they turn crisp. Drain on an absorbent paper.
Cool completely and store in an air-tight container and use as required.

Boondi, Namkeen Boondi, Kara Boondi recipe with step by step photos

To make the batter for Boondi:

To make the batter for Boondi, take a deep bowl and add the besan into it. Use the fine variety of besan. The coarse one is used for making Besan ladoos and other such mithais.
Add the salt to taste. Do not add salt if you are making Meetha (sweet) boondi.
Add about ¾ cup of water. Add the water little at a time to prevent the formation of lumps. Add about ¼ cup of water initially.
Mix it very well with the help of a whisk to break all the lumps.
Gradually, add the remaining amount of water and mix well.

Add ½ tbsp of oil. This will makes the Boondis crispy and also help to pour the batter smoothly into the hot oil for frying.
Make sure that your batter for Boondi is of a pouring consistency. It should be slightly thinner than a dosa batter. You will get 'tails' in your boondi if your batter is not of the right consistency. If your batter becomes too thick you will get dense boondis. Also, if your batter is too thin your boondis will have tiny holes and will be brittle. Mix well and keep it aside for about 10 minutes. This will slightly ferment the batter and will give us beautifully puffed up Boondis.

How to fry the Boondi:

Before we begin, we would like you to have a look at all the boondi jharas (perforated spoons) available in the market. This is what most Halwais use. It has small dome like structures above the holes. Lets call it Jhara A.
This one has small holes but does not have the protusions. Lets call it Jhara B.
This one has large holes. Lets call it Jhara C. We do not recommend using this jhara because it doesn't give us the desired shape and size.

Heat the oil for frying the Boondi in a deep non stick pan. Lets fry the boondis with Jhara A first. Place the Jhara over the hot oil. Pour about ¼ cup of the boondi batter into it. Tap it lightly so that the batter falls into the hot oil.
Fry the boondis on a slow to medium flame till they turn golden in colour. Use another clean jhara (perforated spoon) to drain the Boondi from the oil.
We made the second batch using Jhara B.
Place the boondis on an absorbant paper to get rid of excess oil. This is the image of the Boondis we made using Jhara A. They are alll of the same size and shape.
This is what the Boondi ( Kara Boondi, Namkeen Boondi) using Jhara B look like. They don't look very different from the ones made with Jhrara A but have slighly uneven shape and size.

We tried making Boondis using Jhara C and it was a disaster!
Repeat the steps with the remaining batter to make more Boondi ( Kara Boondi, Namkeen Boondi). You will get around 3.50 cups of boondi with this batter. Wipe your jhara with a paper towel or a piece of cloth after each batch to ensure the holes of the jhara are not clogged. Store the boondi in an air tight container. It will stay fresh for about 15 days.