Kara Boondi is a popular South Indian crunchy snack made with gram flour batter dropped into hot oil and seasoned with spices. It is mildly spicy, aromatic, and perfect as a standalone snack or for making mixtures.
Ingredients
- Besan – 1 cup
- Rice flour – 1 tbsp
- Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
- Salt – to taste
- Hing – a pinch
- Water – as required
- Oil – for deep frying
Additional frying ingredients
- Peanuts – 2 tbsp
- Roasted chana dal (putnala pappu) – 2 tbsp
- Curry leaves – few
- Garlic – 3–4 cloves (crushed)
Preparation Method
- Mix besan, rice flour, salt, red chilli powder, and hing
- Add water slowly and make a smooth flowing batter
- Heat oil on medium flame
- Drop batter through boondi ladle and fry till crisp
- Remove boondi and keep aside
- Fry peanuts till golden and crisp, remove
- Fry roasted chana dal till crunchy, remove
- Fry curry leaves till crisp, remove
- Fry crushed garlic till light golden, remove
- Take all fried items in a bowl
- Add fried kara boondi
- Mix gently and cool completely
- Store in an airtight container
Tips
- Fry everything on medium flame only
- Do not over-fry garlic, it turns bitter
- Cool fully before storing for crispness
Variations
- Add a pinch of pepper powder
- Add ajwain powder to batter
- Add cashews instead of peanuts
Health Benefits
- Besan gives protein
- Peanuts and chana dal add energy
- Homemade snack without preservatives