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Indian · Punjabi

Boondi raita

Vegetarian

बूंदी रायता · būndī rāytā

Whisked yoghurt with crisp gram-flour pearls (boondi), roasted cumin, red chilli and black salt. The most common raita on North Indian tables, served with biryani, pulao and parathas.

Boondi raita is an Indian side dish, ready in about 20 minutes and made with yogurt and boondi (fried gram-flour pearls). It serves 6 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Boondi raita: yogurt with crisp boondi pearls and a sprinkle of spices in a glass bowl
Photo: Ravi Talwar / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Rest
10 min
Total
20 min
Serves
6
Level
Beginner
Calories
81

Ingredients

6 servings (about 90 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yoghurt (opens in a new tab) with the cold water until completely smooth and pourable, like thick buttermilk.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) in most of the roasted cumin, the black salt (opens in a new tab), salt and sugar (opens in a new tab) (if using).

  3. Step 3

    For soft boondi (opens in a new tab), soak it in a bowl of warm water for 2–3 minutes until it swells, then drain in a sieve and press gently to squeeze out the water. For crunchy boondi, skip the soaking.

    Liquid being strained through a sieve
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir the boondi (opens in a new tab) into the yoghurt (opens in a new tab). Chill for 10 minutes, then sprinkle with the remaining cumin, the chilli powder, coriander and mint (opens in a new tab) just before serving.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Commonly attributedMade across North India and Pakistan with ready-made salted boondi; widely documented in home cookbooks.Also popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Side dishes · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
creamy, refreshing, tangy, savoury
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Child-friendly
Cook more with
Yogurt · Ground cumin · Kashmiri chilli powder · Black salt (kala namak) · Coriander leaves

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom yogurt

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

81 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 93 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 23%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 32%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g
Energy81 kcal87 kcal
Protein4.7 g5 g
Carbohydrate9.2 g9.8 g
Net carbohydrate8 g8.5 g
Sugars4.2 g4.5 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre1.2 g1.3 g
Fat2.9 g3.1 g
Saturated fat1.5 g1.6 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol9 mg9 mg
Sodium232 mg249 mg
Salt equivalent0.6 g0.6 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
202 mg
Calcium
91 mg
Iron
0.8 mg
Magnesium
27 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
25 µg
Vitamin C
1 mg
Vitamin D
0.1 µg
Vitamin B12
0.2 µg
Folate (DFE)
49 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: sugar, mint.
  • Boondi (fried gram-flour pearls): Chickpea flour (FDC 174288) used as a stand-in for the batter; boondi is deep-fried, so fat and energy are substantially understated.
  • Kashmiri chilli powder: Paprika (FDC 171329) used as a stand-in: Kashmiri chilli is a mild, deep-red chilli powder used mainly for colour.
  • Black salt (kala namak): Table salt (FDC 173468) used as a stand-in; kala namak is mostly sodium chloride with sulphur compounds that give its eggy aroma.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soaking the boondi removes excess oil and salt and stops it drinking up all the yoghurt.
  • For crunch, add unsoaked boondi at the table.

Common mistakes

  • Adding boondi hours ahead; it turns mushy and thickens the raita to a paste.
  • Using sweet boondi, which is for laddoo.

Serve with

  • Serve with chicken or vegetable biryani, vegetable pulao, jeera rice, aloo paratha, chole bhature or a Sunday dal-chawal.

Food safety

  • Keep yoghurt dishes chilled and do not leave them at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour in hot weather).

Storage

  • Best within a few hours. Refrigerate the yoghurt base for up to 2 days and add boondi just before serving.

Variations

  • Masala boondi raita: Use spiced masala boondi and add a pinch of chaat masala.
  • Boondi raita with homemade boondi: Drip a thin besan batter through a slotted spoon into hot oil and fry until crisp; drain well before using.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 3, 4

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