Boondi Raita
Get directions ↗ · 2 min walk from Grand Mercure
Last orders 30 minutes before closing
Dine-in · takeaway · delivery via GrabFood and LINE MAN
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is "boondi"?
Boondi are small, crispy, pearl-like drops made from a deep-fried besan(chickpea flour) batter.
Does the boondi stay crispy in the yogurt?
We mix the boondi in just before serving so it retains a bit of crunch, though it naturally softens as it soaks in the yogurt.
Is this raita sweet or salty?
It is a savory, lightly salted side dish designed to complement main courses.
Is this gluten-free?
Yes, chickpea flour is naturally gluten-free, but please inform our staff if you have any severe allergies.
How spicy is the Boondi Raita?
It is very mild, featuring just a tiny pinch of chili powder for flavor rather than deep heat.
About Boondi Raita
Boondi raita is the softer, gentler member of the raita family — a bowl of spiced yogurt swimming with tiny golden pearls of fried gram flour called boondi. It is a fixture of North Indian wedding feasts and festive thalis, where its mild, almost sweet character makes it the crowd-pleasing raita that even children reach for. Boondi themselves are made by dripping a chickpea-flour batter through a perforated ladle into hot oil, where they set into perfect little spheres.
At BHARAT we stir the boondi into our own morning-set whole-milk yogurt, season it with roasted cumin, salt and a small pinch of red chilli, and serve it chilled. There is a deliberate timing to eating it: the boondi go in just before the bowl reaches your table so they have begun to soften and soak up the yogurt but still hold a little of their original texture. Left too long they turn fully spongy, so this is a side best enjoyed within the first few minutes — part of its charm is that brief contrast between the creamy yogurt and the yielding, soaked pearls.
Compared with our mix raita, boondi raita is milder, smoother and a touch sweeter, without the raw-onion bite — which makes it the better choice if you want something purely cooling rather than savoury and crunchy. Like all yogurt sides it does real work against chilli heat, the casein in the dairy carrying away the capsaicin, so it sits especially well beside biryani, pulao and the spicier curries. Vegetarian and freshly assembled per order, it is the comfort-food raita of the North Indian table.
Vegetarians and meat-eaters share most tables here; the menu has plenty for both. Visit BHARAT →
See also: the Raita & Extras menu · Indian vegetarian food in Bangkok · our fresh paneer dishes · halal-friendly kitchen.