Kara Boondi is a popular South Indian snack made with chickpea flour and spices, garnished with roasted cashews, peanuts and curry leaves. Tiny pearls of crispy & crunchy fried boondi is such a tasty and much addictive snack. Every year for Deepavali I make a batch of kara boondi to be turned into Madras Mixture or South Indian mixture recipe, but never got a chance to document the boondi recipe until now. Boondi Mixture is a simple but delicious recipe that can be made in bulk quickly without a lot of effort – if you get the hang of it and follow the process to the T. While I love the Sweet Boondi, the spicy version of boondi recipe is equally addictive. It does not need many ingredients and is almost fail-proof. My recipe for kara boondi has lots of tips and tricks to get perfect round shaped boondhi and it stays crispy for over two weeks. Serve it as a tea-time snack or even on the side with variety rice like Bisi Bele Bath.
Key Ingredients
Gram Flour/Besan is one of the main ingredients to prepare the boondi batter recipe. Using fresh gram flour makes the lightest boondi! Rice Flour is added in the boondi batter to make crispy crunchy boondi. Boondi batter is flavored with Red chilli powder, Turmeric powder and Asafoetida. And it is the asafoetida that adds a magical taste to the fried boondi. Roasted Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds and Raisins (optional) along with Fried Curry Leaves are used to garnish the fried boondi and make boondi mixture. For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, check the recipe below.
Tips & Important Notes for Making Kara Boondi
Making Kaara Boondhi is slightly technical and time-consuming but it is also a fun project that yields tasty results. The below tips and tricks should help in making perfect round shaped boondi that stays crisp with longer shelf life. Boondi batter made with gram flour and rice flour should be runny and free-flowing. If the batter is thick, boondi will be dense and not crisp. Using a boondi ladle is a must for making boondi, but in case it is not available use a slotted spoon that is wide enough to hold the batter. Depending on the size of boondi ladle, the size of the boondi will differ too. Always place the boondi ladle ½ feet above the fry pan with oil. The boondi should fall from a height for it to be in perfect shape and not get tails or form a dew drop shape. If the batter is too runny, the boondi falls flat. After making each batch of boondi, wash the ladle to remove the excess batter from the top & bottom of it. This helps makes perfectly shaped round boondi too. Else, the boondi falls in big drops and results in uneven sized boondi. Some of it might be undercooked and some overcooked. The oil for frying the boondi should be hot and then set on medium flame, maintain the heat for making perfectly crisp boondi. Do not overcrowd the oil with boondi and stop right when the oil looks full. Continuing to drop boondis into oil, making it crowded could result in bundled/clumps of boondi. Always drain the boondi onto a tissue paper to remove extra oil. I feel that the boondi definitely feels lighter.
Substitutions & Variations
Adjust the amount of rice flour depending on how crispy and crunchy the boondi should be. Adding lesser rice flour makes the boondi slightly softer. Garnishing the boondi with roasted peanuts, cashews, almonds and raisins is optional but makes it much tastier. Crushed garlic cloves roasted in some oil can also be added to the boondi for a good flavor kick.
Storing & Serving Suggestions
Kara Boondi stays fresh and crisp for over two weeks when stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It is best served as a tea/coffee-time snack and can also be sprinkled as a garnish on a lot of dishes – thayir vadai, bisi bele bath or served as a side dish with sambar or rasam rice. It also makes for a brilliant boondi raita by adding it to the whisked curd flavored with cumin powder.
Similar Recipes
Kara Boondi Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup gram flour, 2 tablespoon rice flour, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder, ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida, ⅛ teaspoon baking soda and salt as needed. Mix everything well. Pour water little by little and mix the batter until it is thick but runny. Using a whisk helps makes lump-free batter. The batter should be free-flowing but coat the back of the ladle. Heat oil for deep frying the boondi. Place the boondi ladle over the hot oil at ½ feet height. Take a laddle of batter and pour it over the boondi ladle. Using another ladle, make circular motion on the batter as if making dosa. Even sized boondi will fall in the oil. Don’t overcrowd the oil. If the batter is thick, you will get tails on the boondi. If the batter is runny, the boondi will be flat. So make sure it is at the right consistency. Fry the boondi until it feels crisp and is golden brown. When the boondi is cooked enough, oil stops sizzling or bubbling. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain onto tissue paper. Repeat this for the rest of the batter. Wash off the back of the boondi ladle to get even-sized boondi after each or every other round. After all the boondi is made, in the same oil roast 2 tablespoon peanuts until golden brown. Drain off and add it to the prepared boondi. Fry 8-10 cashews until golden brown and add to the prepared boondi. Finally fry a handful of fresh curry leaves and add it to the prepared boondi. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder and salt (if needed). Mix everything well together. Once boondi is cooled to room temperature, store in an airtight container for upto 2 weeks. Serve with coffee/tea as snack.
Recipe Notes
Adjust spices as per taste preferences.Adding cooking soda/baking soda makes the boondi crispy and it is just two pinches.Sprinkling prepared boondi with Kashmiri chilli powder gives it great color and also adds to the taste.
I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂
