Kara Boondi Mixture | Namkeen Boondi

Diwali Time Memories

One of my favorite Indian festivals is here and I can't wait to celebrate it with my family. Diwali is a big celebration time for us. It's not just the day of the festival that we look forward to, but also the prep that starts days before the actual festival.

The pantry gets stocked with many staples that will be needed to make special Diwali treats, both sweet and savory. Everyone in the house gets on the deep clean mode and weekends are only reserved for cooking and cleaning.

Moms of the housework relentlessly in both these departments. I remember, my mom would do the cleaning bit in the mornings with us and the house help. Then in the afternoons, she would quietly begin her Diwali Farsaan (snack) prep.

She preferred that time because there would be no disturbances like doorbells or telephone rings plus we would be snoozing or lazying on the couch watching TV without bothering her. She would call for help if needed. But we were most excited when she would call us to taste the freshly made treats!

Snacks and Books - best afternoon companions

Mom would make a variety of sweet and savory treats for us and at least I would savor it and eat. She would make something for each one of us depending on what we liked.

There would be Gulab Jamun for my brother, this Kara Boondi, and Chegodilu/Ring Muruku for my dad, Karanji, and Shankarpali for me, and some generic dishes like Mysore Pak, Chocolate Rava Laddu, and chiwda which we all loved.

We had Diwali vacation at school so afternoons were not reserved for homework anymore. I would rather spend it with a comic book in one hand and a bowl of freshly made snacks in the other. This was my favorite pastime. I could stay like this for hours if not disturbed.

In fact, even today when I pick up comic books like Tinkle or Archie, I crave something to munch along. We also had this custom where we would put a sample of everything made onto different plates and then distribute it among our neighbors on Diwali day. That way, we all had a variety of treats by the end of the day from different homes! 

Why make this

• A vegan savory fried snack
• Crispy and crunchy snack
• Made with basic ingredients
• Easy to make

Ingredients needed 🧾

Flour - The main ingredient to make boondi is besan or chickpea flour. Sieve and use to avoid any lumps.

Spices - chilly powder or paprika, and asafoetida are just the two spices that we need to make kara boondi.

Making Kara Boondi is not as difficult as it seems. With just a little practice, you can nail the recipe. The key tool you need to make this boondi is the slotted ladle or Boondi Jhara. I got mine from India and it's number 2. The number on the ladle is what is responsible for the size of the boondi. You can find something similar on Amazon.

Besides this, you will need vegetable oil for frying.

1. In a mixing bowl, add besan/chickpea flour, chilly powder/paprika, asafoetida, salt, and oil.
2. Add water to it gradually and using a whisk, mix it together ensuring there are no lumps formed. The batter should be thicker but of flowing consistency. Meanwhile, prepare oil for frying.
3. Place the ladle over the frying pan once the oil is hot enough and then pour a spoonful of the batter over it. You will notice the batter slipping out of the slots and falling into the hot oil. That is what you need. Tap the ladle lightly if needed. You can also press the batter with a spoon but be careful to not crowd the frying pan as that will make the boondi lumpy. Keep repeating these steps till you finish all the batter. Chef Tip - If the batter does not fall easily, dilute it by adding little water to it. But be careful to not thin the batter.
4. Once you have exhausted the batter, transfer the fried boondi to a mixing bowl. Prepare the tempering by frying curry leaves and peanuts in this oil. Pour this over the boondi mixture and give it a good mix. Adjust salt and chilly powder as per your taste.

Serving suggestions 🍽

Kara Boondi Mixture is ready. Let it cool down a bit before you dig in. Store in an airtight container and enjoy this dry vegan snack any time of the day. Spicy boondi also is great for gifting especially during the holidays like Diwali, Thanksgiving, or Christmas. Check out this post where I have shared all the sweet and savory snack recipes that can be made for Diwali. Sweet Boondi can be served with Sindhi Kadhi. It's a popular food combo.

Top recipe tips 💭

Sieve the besan if you feel it's got lumps before you begin. There is no need to add more spices, but please do if you feel the need. The consistency of the boondi batter is crucial. The batter should be thicker but of flowing consistency. It should also be free of any lumps. When frying, if the batter does not fall easily, dilute it by adding a little water to it. But be careful to not thin the batter too much.

Recipe FAQs 📖