Kara boondi is one of the most favorite savory tea time snack. Very delicious, very addictive! This vegan snack is super crunchy and made of chickpea flour.
Don’t just make it for special occasions and festivals, because it’s so addictive you’ll want to make it again and again.
Kara boondi is basically spiced savory version which is so much different from sweet boondi. It packs a whole lot of flavors and spices.
It consists of fried boondi that is not sweet (crispy little nuggets of chickpea flour) along with fried peanuts, fried curry leaves and fried garlic pods. All the flavors are so amazing you’re mouth will explore with flavors.
This popular South Indian snack is one of my favorite Diwali recipes that I try every single year without fail.
Though this snack is usually made during special occasions and festivals, we say don’t just make it for festivals. Kara boondi recipe is so addictive that you’ll make it over and over again and stock it up for everyday tea time snack.
Though the name says ‘kara’, this savory snack is not really spicy. It’s savory for sure, with right blend of red chilies, flavors from fried curry leaves, crushed fried garlic and fried peanuts. This savory snack gives you a wonderful break from all the sweet dishes you make for diwali or any other festival.
The main ingredient – boondi is made from chickpea flour. Mix chickpea flour with salt, red chili powder and other ingredients into a thin batter. Pour it over slotted spoon and the batter that falls through the holes of the spoon into hot oil forms into cute little crispy dumplings.
At the beginning I was petrified to even think of trying to make my own boondi at home. But trust me it’s actually not that difficult as you might imagine.
If I can make kara boondi recipe at home, you definitely can make it too. The most crucial thing is the consistency of the batter. Get that right, and you’re in no big trouble.
How To Make Kara Boondi
- Sieve chickpea flour, rice flour together. In a bowl add the flour, salt, pepper powder, asafetida, cooking soda and mix. Add water little at a time, whisk to form a batter that is slightly thick and is of pouring consistency.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Once oil in hot, reduce flame to medium.
- Into the oil add peanuts and fry till they start to turn brown. Next add curry leaves and crushed garlic cloves and wait they crisp up.
- Let’s fry the boondis in the same oil. The flavor of garlic and curry leaves that went into the oil will flavor up the boondis as well.
- Hold a slotted spatula over the hot oil and pour the batter on top of the slotted spatula little at a time. The batter should flow down the spatula holes easily into hot oil. Wait till all batter falls down through the hole, then pour another ladle full of batter over the slotted spatula and wait for it to fall down into the hot oil. Wait for all the boondis inside the oil to get cooked and turn crispy. The color once turned golden yellow remove the fried boondi from oil onto a kitchen paper.
- Before repeating the next batch of frying boondis wipe clean the remaining batter sticking to the slotted spatula including the whole. Then pour the next batch and fry them the same way. Do this step till all the batter is fried.
- Mix boondi, peanuts, curry leaves, garlic. Let it cool completely. Store in air tight container and enjoy it with your tea in the evening or munch on anytime 😀 These are totally addictive!!
How To Serve Kara Boondi
With a hot cup of chai in the evening, a bowl of kara boondi goes down the stomach in no time. It doesn’t stop just there! There are way too many ways to serve kara boondi.
Serve it with bisi bele bath. That’s right, serve it with your favorite lunch. Bisi bele bath isn’t complete without kara boondi topped over it before serving.
Serve it with raita. One of the best summer side dish with any rice pulao or biryani. We love to serve kara boondi raita with mint pulao.
Make a spicy and interesting curry or gravy out of boondi! Yes, you read it right. Boondi curry is one of the most liked curry in North.
Don’t forget to check out amazing collection of 31 DIWALI RECIPES .
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Kara Boondi
Ingredients
- 1 cup besan flour (chickpea flour)
- ½ cup rice flour
- 1 pinch cooking soda
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground pepper
- Water as required
- ½ cup peanuts
- 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 4 whole garlic cloves with skin crushed
- Oil for deep frying
Instructions
- Sieve chickpea flour, rice flour together. In a bowl add the flour, salt, pepper powder, asafetida, cooking soda and mix. Add water little at a time, whisk to form a batter that is slightly thick and is of pouring consistency.
- Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying. Once oil in hot, reduce flame to medium.
- Into the oil add peanuts and fry till they start to turn brown. Next add curry leaves and crushed garlic cloves and wait they crisp up.
- Let’s fry the boondis in the same oil. The flavor of garlic and curry leaves that went into the oil will flavor up the boondis as well.
- Hold a slotted spatula over the hot oil and pour the batter on top of the slotted spatula little at a time. The batter should flow down the spatula holes easily into hot oil. Wait till all batter falls down through the hole, then pour another ladle full of batter over the slotted spatula and wait for it to fall down into the hot oil. Wait for all the boondis inside the oil to get cooked and turn crispy. The color once turned golden yellow remove the fried boondi from oil onto a kitchen paper.
- Before repeating the next batch of frying boondis wipe clean the remaining batter sticking to the slotted spatula including the whole. Then pour the next batch and fry them the same way. Do this step till all the batter is fried.
- Mix boondi, peanuts, curry leaves, garlic. Let it cool completely. Store in air tight container and enjoy it with your tea in the evening or munch on anytime 😀 These are totally addictive!!
Nutrition
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Janani Rakesh Kumar
Gorgeous prop and click jyothi! loved them both! and the boondi’s look sooo yum!
jyothirajesh
Thanks a lot dear <3 You are very kind :*
Meera Seetharaman
Nice write up, recipe and pictures Jyothi. Why don’t you give us a sneak peek into your renovated house?
jyothirajesh
Thanks Meera, sure once it comes to shape will take some photos to share 😀
Alka
You are an amazing blogger and I am a huge fan of your photography, glad these stoneware is in the right hands. Happy Diwali
jyothirajesh
It’s wonderful to be surrounded by such amazing warm hearted people. Thanks Alka <3
Radhika
Those stone bowls are gorgeous! And you’ve done justice to them.. Boondi looks perfect Jyo
jyothirajesh
Thank you Radhika. Glad to have you here . I’m in love with those stoneware bowls too 😀