Boondi

Boondi is made from a batter of gram flour, which is ground chickpeas, and water. The batter is poured through a perforated ladle held over hot oil or ghee, so it falls in drops that fry into small round pearls. The name comes from the Hindi word for a drop.

For sweet boondi, the pearls are soaked in sugar syrup flavored with cardamom and often colored yellow or orange. Pressed together while warm, they become boondi laddu, a favorite festival and temple offering sweet. Salted, crisp boondi is eaten as a snack or soaked in yogurt to make boondi raita.