Boondi is a delicious Indian snack item which comes from the land of Rajasthan. It can be stored for a week or so. Due to the need for preserving food in arid regions of Rajasthan, boondi laddu are preferred. Boondi is of two types which include a sweet version and savoury version, called Khara or Tikha.

Ingredients of Sweet Boondi

•1 cup besan flour
•A very tiny pinch cooking soda
•Oil to deep fry
•2 cloves
•A tiny pinch yellow food colour
•1 powdered cardamom
•1 tbsp broken cashews
•1/2 tbsp raisins
•A very tiny pinch edible camphor

To make the Sugar Syrup

•3/4 cup sugar
•1/2 cup water

Method of Preparing Sweet Boondi

•Add a tsp of ghee in a pan and fry.
•Add cashews, fry till slightly browned then add raisins, cloves and fry till golden brown. Keep aside.
•Sieve besan flour with soda and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add water little by little to form a thick paste.
•Add more water to form a flowing batter, and then add yellow colour.
•2 ladles will be required for making boondhi: one for making the Boondi and another for draining them from oil.
•To check if the batter is in correct consistency: First take a spoon and dip the backside of the spoon into batter and hold it on top of the preheated oil. If it drops as perfect rounds then the batter is perfect. Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with the hole holding it just above the oil.
•It will drip down by itself; one can even spread it using the ladle in circular motion for quicker process. Turn over to cook on both sides evenly. It should not be crispy just cooked.
•Wipe off the boondi laddle with a cloth for each batch.
•Repeat to finish the entire batter.
•In a broad vessel first add sugar with water till immersing level and heat it up.
•Drain the boondis in a tissue and immediately add it to the prepared warm sugar syrup.
•Once all the boondis are added, add edible camphor, cardamom powder, and ghee fried cashews, raisins and cloves. Mix well.
•Give an hr or 2 standing time for the boondis to absorb the sugar syrup and for the sugar to crystallise.
•Serve.

Ingredients of Kara Boondi

•1 cup gram flour/ kadala maavu
•1/2 cup rice flour
•1 tiny pinch cooking soda
•Salt as needed
•2 tsp coarse pepper powder
•4 flakes garlic
•6 - 8 cashew nuts
•2 tbslp ground nuts
•1 sprig curry leaves
•1 tsp ghee
•Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparing Kara Boondi

•Mix gram flour, rice flour, cooking soda, and salt well. Then add water gradually to make a batter like bajji batter.
•Heat oil in pan. (Two big ladles with holes will be required. One for making boondi another for draining from oil.)
•One will need two big ladles with holes. One for making boondi and one for draining from oil. Use another deep ladle to spoon the batter. Pour one ladle of batter over the ladle with hole holding it just above the oil and spread it.
•Wipe the ladle. Fry until golden colour.
•Drain using other big slotted ladle in kitchen towel. Repeat the process to finish the remaining batter.
•Heat another pan, add ghee, when hot, add broken cashews, peanuts if using and fry till golden.
•Then add curry leaves and well crushed garlic and fry till nice aroma rises and add half of the pepper powder, give a quick stir and switch off the flame. Add this to the boondi, add the remaining pepper powder and little more salt and toss well to get all mixed.