Dahi Boondi

I love trying out various kinds of 'raita' as it is one of those easy and quick side dishes which really adds that extra bit of zing to any kind of meal. It is always served with heavy and oily dishes as the good bacteria present in the yogurt helps in digestion and also nullifies the irritant effect of the strong spices which are a signature component of Indian food. It also multi-tasks as a palate cleanser. But on the days when one is feeling lazy, a simple raita paired with chapatis/parathas or even with a veg pulao, becomes a complete meal by itself.

While I usually make raita with some vegetable and/or fruit, I sometimes get tempted to try out Boondi raita when there is a packet of 'kara boondi' lying in my kitchen. Read on for easy recipe -

Preparation time - 5 mins (plus 20 mins in the fridge)

Ingredients -

• 1 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1 cup kara boondi
• 1 tsp English mustard 
• 2 tsp amchur powder
• 2-3 green chilis (de-seeded and slit lengthwise)
• chopped coriander for garnishing
• salt to taste

Preparation- Take the yogurt in a mixing bowl. Beat gently to break any lumps. Add salt, English mustard, amchur and green chilis. Mix well. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 - 1/2 cup water along with the boondis.

Chill for 20 mins before serving.

Click here for another version of Boondi raita.

Boondi Raita

If I were asked to name a Raita that goes best with rotis (or any indian bread for that matter ), this one would win hands down. It was my dish of choice for breakfast/dinner along with rotis/parathas. While i was quite fussy when it came to vegetables in those days, nowadays I have it along with a simple roti-dry subzi.

Very easy to make if you have a packet of salted boondi (say Haldiram's ) lying at home. In fact this one is so simple that i felt silly posting the recipe. But i persisted thinking that if nobody else it might help some of my bachelor/single friends who find it quite a task to even whip up an omelette ( and its not always a case of lacking culinary skills but also the hectic schedule that we follow ).

Read on:

Preparation time : 30 mins ( 25 mins is the standby time when the boondi itself does all the work...yeah it has to soak up all that water)

Ingredients - 1 cup salted boondi, 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup water, 1-2 dry red chillis, 1 sprig of curry leaves, 1/4 tsp pancha phutana or only mustard/cumin seeds (as you wish), 1 pinch roasted cumin powder,  1 pinch powdered asafoetida,1/2 tsp oil, salt to taste.

Preparation -  Whisk the yogurt lightly to get a smooth texture. Take the boondi, beaten yogurt and water in a bowl. Allow to soak for 25-30 mins. (this may vary as some boondis become soft very soon)

Cooking - Heat oil in a tadka (tempering) pan. Add broken chilli and pancha-phutana/mustard/cumin. Once spluttering almost stops, add the curry leaves along with asafoetida.

Pour the mixture over the soaked boondis. Sprinkle salt and roasted cumin powder.

Mix well and serve (no need to chill).