Boondi
Encyclopedia
Boondi (bundi) is a fried Rajasthani
sweet snack
made from chickpea
flour. A savory version of Boondi called Khara is also made. Being very sweet, it can be stored for a week or so. Due to the need for preserving food in arid regions of Rajasthan, boondi Laddu
are preferred.
batter
is made into small balls using a ladle
with holes. These balls are then deep fried in vegetable oil.
To make boondi Laddu
, fried boondi is dipped in sugar syrup.
Plain boondi is eaten along with payasam in South India
or is used to prepare Laddu
.
In preparing Tikha/Khara boondi, the batter is mixed with spices and salt before frying. Khara boondi is eaten by itself or is added to Indian-mixture.
Boondi is popularly used to prepare 'raita' in North India. Raita is a curd based dish. Boondi raita typically contains curd (plain yoghurt), boondi (which has been soaked in water to make it soft, and then seived and added to the curd) and seasonings of salt, spices, chilli, etc. It is eaten as a side dish with pulao, or any other meal.
Rajasthani people
Rajasthani people are the native inhabitants of Rajasthan region of India. They form an ethnic group which is a result of assimilation of Scytho-Dravidian, Aryo-Dravidian, Indo-Aryan, Indo-Scythian, Indo-Greeks, Indo-Iranians and Austro-Asiatic ancestries...
sweet snack
Snack
A snack is a small portion of food eaten between meals. The food might be snack food—items like potato chips or baby carrots—but could also simply be a smaller amount of any food item.-Snacks and health:...
made from chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
flour. A savory version of Boondi called Khara is also made. Being very sweet, it can be stored for a week or so. Due to the need for preserving food in arid regions of Rajasthan, boondi Laddu
Laddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
are preferred.
Preparation
To prepare boondi, Gram flourGram flour
Gram flour is a cereal flour made from ground chickpeas. It is also known as chickpea flour, garbanzo flour, or besan . Used in many countries, it is a staple ingredient in Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi cuisines, and, in the form of a paste with water or yoghurt, a popular facial exfoliant in...
batter
Batter (cooking)
Batter is a semi-liquid mixture of one or more flours combined with liquids such as water, milk or eggs used to prepare various foods. Often a leavening agent such as baking powder is included to aerate and fluff up the batter as it cooks, or the mixture may be naturally fermented for this purpose...
is made into small balls using a ladle
Ladle (spoon)
A ladle is a type of spoon used to scoop up and serve soup, stew, or other foods. Although designs vary, a typical ladle has a long handle terminating in a deep bowl, frequently with the bowl oriented at an angle to the handle to facilitate lifting liquid out of a pot or other vessel and conveying...
with holes. These balls are then deep fried in vegetable oil.
To make boondi Laddu
Laddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
, fried boondi is dipped in sugar syrup.
Plain boondi is eaten along with payasam in South India
South India
South India is the area encompassing India's states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as well as the union territories of Lakshadweep and Pondicherry, occupying 19.31% of India's area...
or is used to prepare Laddu
Laddu
Laddu or Laddoo is a ball-shaped sweet popular in South Asian countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh as well as countries with immigrants from South Asia. Laddu is made of flour and sugar with other ingredients that vary by recipe...
.
In preparing Tikha/Khara boondi, the batter is mixed with spices and salt before frying. Khara boondi is eaten by itself or is added to Indian-mixture.
Boondi is popularly used to prepare 'raita' in North India. Raita is a curd based dish. Boondi raita typically contains curd (plain yoghurt), boondi (which has been soaked in water to make it soft, and then seived and added to the curd) and seasonings of salt, spices, chilli, etc. It is eaten as a side dish with pulao, or any other meal.