Kara boondi is a spiced version of boondi and a mixture consisting of boondi, peanuts, cashews, curry leaves and a few spices.
Recipe Snapshot
- Prep time: 5 minutes
- Cook time: 40 minutes
- Total time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients
- ½ cup besan ((gram flour))
- 1 tablespoon Rice Flour
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 2 pinches turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or add as required)
- 8 to 9 tablespoons water (or add as required)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons oil or ghee
- 8 to 9 curry leaves
- 12 to 15 cashews
- 2 tablespoons peanut
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
- salt as required
- oil (as required for deep frying)
Method
making boondi batter
- Take ½ cup besan and 1 tablespoon rice flour in a mixing bowl.
- Then add 1 pinch asafoetida (hing), 1 pinch of baking soda, 2 pinches turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Mix everything with a spoon.
- Now add 8 to 9 tablespoons water in parts.
- Using a wired whisk make a smooth and slightly thin batter without lumps.
- The batter consistency is slightly thin. The amount of water to be added depends on the quality of besan (gram flour). So add accordingly.
frying salted boondi
- Heat oil for frying in a kadai or pan. When the oil becomes hot, then tap the wired whisk or the handle of a spoon which has a bit of batter in to the hot oil.
- The boondis should have a round shape. If they become flat, then the batter is thin. If they get tail ends, then the batter is thick. If the batter is thin, then add 1 to 2 teaspoons of gram flour and check by frying a few boondis. If the batter is thick, then add a few teaspoons of water and then do the same test. Once you get the correct consistency, proceed with the next step of frying the boondis.
- Now take a dry perforated ladle/jhara and place it above the hot oil. Don't keep too much on a height, as the batter droplets, when falling from a height, do not give a round shape. With a spoon add some batter on the perforated spoon ladle/jhara. Spread the batter lightly with a spoon. Finish up the batter on the perforated spoon ladle this way.
- On a medium flame begin to fry the boondis. Do not turn them. Let them become slightly crisp and then turn them.
- When the boondis have become crisp, turn them with a slotted spoon.
- Continue to fry till the boondis becomes crisp and golden.
- After the oil stops sizzling, continue to fry the boondis for some more seconds so that they become crisp.
- Remove with a strainer spoon or a slotted spoon draining the extra oil.
- Place the fried salted boondi on kitchen paper towels.
- After each batch, wipe the perforated ladle/jhara with a clean piece of moist thin cotton kitchen towel from both sides. Continue to fry boondis this way.
frying nuts for kara boondi
- In another small pan, take 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee or oil.
- Add 2 tablespoons peanuts.
- Stirring them often fry till the peanuts becomes crunchy and change their color. Remove and keep aside on kitchen paper towels.
- Then add 12 to 15 cashews.
- Stirring often fry the cashews till they become golden. Remove and keep aside on kitchen paper towels. You can add more peanuts or cashews if you want.
- Now add 8 to 9 curry leaves. fry for some seconds till the curry leaves become crisp. Do not burn them.
- Remove and keep aside on kitchen paper towels.
making kara boondi
- Now take the fried peanuts, cashews, curry leaves and boondi in a plate or bowl. Add ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder and 1 pinch asafoetida. You can also add black pepper powder instead of red chilli powder. For a spicy taste you can add more red chilli powder.
- Add salt as per taste. mix very well.
- Store kara boondi mixture in an air tight container or jar.
- Serve kara boondi as a tea time snack or diwali snack.
Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note
Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.