Kara Boondi by Lavanya

• 200 gms. Chickpea flour/Gram Flour/Besan
• ¼ tbsp. Cooking soda
• 50 gms. Peanuts
• 20-25 fresh Curry leaves
• 2-3 tbsp. Red chili powder
• Salt
• Oil, for deep frying

PREPARATION:

• In a heavy bottom cooking vessel/deep wok/kadai, heat enough oil for deep frying boondi.

• While oil is heating up, sieve chickpea flour, cooking soda and salt in a wide bowl.

• Slowly start adding water slowly to make a runny batter without lumps. (Slightly thinner than dosa batter).
• Now check whether the oil is hot enough for deep frying by dropping a drop of batter into the oil. If the batter ball sizzles and reaches the top, then oil is ready for deep frying.

• Reduce the flame and gently pour in the small amount of batter through stainless steel perforated skimming ladle. Using another ladle or small bowl gently spread over the batter on the perforated skimming ladle, allowing batter droplets to fall directly into the hot oil. (as shown in the picture below).

• On medium heat fry boondi, until nice golden and crisp. Using a stainless steel slotted spoon turn boondi up and down in oil for even cooking.
• Once the boondi turn crisp, carefully remove it onto a kitchen tissue/towel. Repeat the process to complete the remaining batter.

• Once the batter is complete then in the same oil deep fry curry leaves until crisp. Remove onto a kitchen tissue.

• Then fry peanuts until crisp and add remove on to kitchen tissue.
• In a small kadai or wok, add 1 tbsp. of oil and fry crushed garlic for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
• Now in a big bowl, gently mix in boondi with red chili powder and salt along with crisp curry leaves, fried garlic and peanuts.
• Leave it for 15-20 minutes and then store in a clean and dry air tight container.
• Our homemade aromatic, fresh, crisp and yum khara boondi is ready to indulge.
• Add ‘love’ to make this boondi taste Yummy.

• You can even add deep fried cashews to the boondi mixture.
• You can add little food color like green and red to the batter to get colourful khara boondi.