This is a special Boondi raita recipe with a refreshing green twist. Flavored with green herbs – it is a perfect Indian side dish for pulao and curries. There is no cooking involved, and all you need is 20 minutes. Be sure to watch the video!
What is ‘Boondi Raita’?
Boondi Raita is one of the most popular Indian side dishes. It is served with a variety of Indian main course meals as a dipping sauce.
You can call it a sweet, mildly spicy, refreshing dip made with curd, spices, salt, sugar, and Boondi.
The key ingredient of this raita recipe is Boondi. The word ‘Boondi’ is a Hindi term for tiny crispy fried gram flour balls. It is a ready-to-use ingredient, easily available in supermarkets or grocery stores under the section of Indian dry snacks. Many Indian sweet shops also sell packets of ready-to-use savory Boondi.
I am sharing with you a special Boondi Raita recipe with the flavor of fresh herbs. It is one of my favorite raita recipes, because of its soothing color and refreshing taste.
The Green Paste
I use a refreshing herb paste to flavor the curd and give it a bright green color. It is a combination of spring onion stalks, mint leaves, and green chili. All combined with 1 tablespoon of curd to make a green paste.
I never thought that those flavorsome spring onion stalks could make raita or stuffed paratha apart from salads and garnishing.
Adding the green paste to the Boondi raita is an optional step. Usually, the boondi raita served at restaurants does not contain any green paste.
Other Ingredients For Raita
Curd: Plain, unsweetened curd or thick Greek yogurt. For vegan raita, use dairy-free yogurt.
Spices: Chaat Masala, Roasted Cumin Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Salt. Adjust the quantity of spices according to your taste preference.
Sugar: A dash of sweetness helps in balancing the heat of spices and green chilies. I prefer granulated white sugar or jaggery powder.
Water or Milk: If the raita seems too thick, you can adjust the consistency by adding ¼ cup of plain water or room temperature milk for the creaminess.
Step-By-Step Process
Making green boondi raita is an utterly simple process.
Step 1) Soak boondi in warm water for 5 – 6 minutes to soften it. Transfer to a colander and allow to cool down completely. Do not press it too hard with a spoon as it will turn into a mash.
Step 2) Whisk curd with spices, salt, and sugar to a smooth, lump-free consistency.
Step 3) Make a green paste of spring onion stalks, mint leaves, and green chili using 1 tablespoon of curd.
Step 4) Combine green paste with masala curd. Whisk. Add softened boondi and mix nicely.
Watch Raita Video
Serving Suggestion
This green boondi raita tastes delicious with aloo ke gutke or potato roast. My favorite meal combination of aloo ki sabzi, boondi raita, and the palak puri or methi paratha.
For Indian main course dishes like vegetable pulao, chicken pulao, paneer pulao, or chana masala this green raita is a perfectly refreshing, cooling side dish.
Make sure to not leave raita at room temperature for more than 2 – 3 hours as the curd start turning sour. It is best to store the leftover in the refrigerator.
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Spring Onion Boondi Raita Recipe
- Blender
Ingredients
Ingredients For Green Paste:
- ½ Cup mint leaves
- 1 Cup spring onion stalks, chopped
- 2 green chili, chopped
Other Ingredients For Raita:
- ⅓ Cup boondi balls
- 1 Cup water, hot
- 2 Cup curd or yogurt
- 1 tablespoon Chaat Masala
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar or jaggery powder
Ingredients For Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon Boondi balls
- 1 teaspoon spring onion, chopped
Instructions
- Soak Boondi in hot water for 5 – 6 minutes. Later, drain on a colander. Gently stir with a spoon and allow to cool completely.
- Roughly chop the spring onion green stalks. Discard the spring onion bulb.
- In a blender combine the mint leaves, green stalks, green chili, and 1 tablespoon thick curd. Make a smooth paste. Set aside until required.
- Whisk curd till smooth and lump free, Use a wire whisk or hand mixer for the purpose.
- Add spices, salt, sugar, and whisk again until smooth.
- Next, add green paste to the masala curd. Whisk to evenly combine with the curd.
- Add softened Boondi balls into the raita. Mix nicely. Keep raita in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Garnish raita with boondi and chopped spring onion. Serve Boondi Raita chilled.
Recipe Notes:
- Make sure to use thick, unflavoured curd or yogurt for making the raita.
- If the raita seems too thick, add ¼ cup water or milk, whisk nicely to get the spoon dropping, smooth consistency.
- Do not add a spring onion bulb (onion) to the green paste. Only the green stalks are used. You can make the green paste with a combination of coriander and mint as well.
Bela says
I did some substitutsion for the mustard oil and green onion and just added olive ohio and chives, but it was still really good!
Hina Gujral says
It is always best to use locally available ingredients. Glad you like it!