Kara boondi

Kara boondi is one of the Diwali special snack which is easy to make as well.

Since holidays are fast approaching kids love to much on snacks, it is always better to give them home made snacks instead of store bought ones. Prepare these yummy kara boondi's and store them in Airtight container, I am sure it will fly fast :).


Ingredients:

• 1 cup Besan /Chickpea/Gram flour
• 1 tbsp Rice flour (optional)
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida/Hing
• 2 tbsp Broken Cashews
• 2 Springs Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Ghee
• For frying Oil
• As required Salt

Method:

1) Take a mixing bowl and add Gram flour, Rice flour, Chilli powder, Hing and Salt, mix them well.

2) Add little water and make it a thick paste. Now add few more water  and melted ghee to form a flowing batter. This is the important step, beat the batter well using a hand whipper or ladle for 5 mins and set aside for 10 mins.

3) Heat oil in a kadai and dip the back side of a spoon in batter and hold it on top of oil. If the dropped batter forms nice round ball and comes to surface quickly then it is prfect batter and temperature of oil is also perfect.

4) Now hold the boondi laddle on top of oil and pour few batter on it. Gently tap on side of ladle using a spoon till all batter gets dropped in oil.

5) Turn over and cook both sides of boondi using a fresh ladle and after shhh sound stops take the boondhis out.

6) Before starting with other batch give few minutes for oil to gain corrct temperature again. meanwhile whip the backside of ladle with your hands and tap it gently to see clear holes in ladle.

7) Now start off with next batch and finish all batches. Finally add Curry leaves and cashews to oil and fry them. Add the fried curry leaves and cashews to boondi and toss them.

Tips:

1) Correct batter consistency gives perfect boondhis if the batter is thick the boondhis will come with tails. If it is thin, it drinks more oil.

2) You can also add a pinch of cooking soda to batter.

3) You can also add ground nuts along with cashews.

4) Some might prefer adding salt and chilli powder while adding cashews to get more spicy taste.

5) I got this tip from one of the chef who cooks for South Indian marriages,  

• After finishing the first batch of boondhis they keep the boondhi ladle in a plate with very little water just to touch the backside of ladle and before starting with next batch wipe it with a clean cloth or you can use a tissue (wipe completely to avoid water drops falling in hot oil) and do next. This will help to get nice round boondhis.