Meethi Boondi

4.91 from 11 votes

Treat your family with a classic Indian sweet ~ Meethi Boondi that’s super-easy to make and hard to resist. Meethi boondi or sweet boondi are petite-sized golden drops (pearls) made with chickpea flour which are later soaked in saffron-infused sugar syrup.

Prep: 10

Cook: 30

Rest: 10

Total: 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Indian

Servings:

Calories: 105kcal

Author: Ruchi

Ingredients

PLAIN BOONDI

1 cup Besan (Chickpea flour)
⅛ teaspoon Baking powder
½ cup Water + 2 tablespoons of extra water

COLORED BOONDI

1 cup Besan (Chickpea flour)
⅛ teaspoon Baking powder
½ cup Water + 2 tablespoons of extra water
A pinch of Red food coloring
Oil for Frying

FOR SUGAR SYRUP

1½ cup Sugar
¾ cup Water
½ teaspoon Cardamom powder
¼ teaspoon Saffron Strands

Instructions

PREPARE THE BOONDI BATTER

Sift besan (Chickpea flour) and baking powder into a mixing bowl.
Using a spatula, break up all the clumps that are left behind into the strainer into the bowl.
Mix to combine.
Add in water slowly. Do not pour all the water at once.
Whisk it well until it forms a smooth and lump-free batter.
Batter should be of pouring consistency - neither too thick nor too thin. Cover and allow the batter to rest for 10 minutes.
Find a strainer (channi) with medium-sized holes. The hole size of the strainer will determine the size of the boondi.

FRY BOONDI

Heat the oil or ghee in a Kadai over medium-high heat, not high heat. Check the oil temperature before frying boondi. To do that, drop a pea-sized batter in the hot oil.
If it floats right back up, that means the oil is ready, but the oil is not ready if the drop ( or boond) sinks.
Hold the strainer or channi right above the Kadai (neither too low nor too high) appx. 2-3 inches above the oil.
Pour the batter into the strainer and keep tapping the strainer with the help of a spoon to let the boondi droplets fall on their own.
You can see small droplets of boondi floating in hot oil. Fry the boondi on medium heat for about 60-90 seconds or until crisp. Do not over fry the boondi.
Once crisp, remove from oil.
Drain the fried boondi on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Repeat the process until all the batter is used up.
To fry boondi with a perforated spoon, follow the same procedure.
Fry until crisp. Set it aside.

MAKING SUGAR SYRUP

Prepare sugar syrup by combining sugar, cardamom, saffron strands, and water in a pan. Stir it well and bring it to a boil.
Boil till the sugar is reduced in quantity and has reached its one-string consistency. It will take 5-7 minutes to reach one string consistency.
Check its consistency - take some liquid on the back of a spoon, and if it coats the spoon without dripping means sugar syrup is ready. Another way would be to take some cooled sugar syrup in between your fingers, press, and now open your fingers; if it forms a thick string between your fingers without breaking - sugar syrup is ready to use.
Take it off the flame. Add the fried boondis into the sugar syrup. Gently toss the boondi in sugar syrup.
Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to sit undisturbed for an hour for the boondis to soak up the sugar syrup.
Meethi boondi is ready to be served.

Nutrition