Run besan/gram flour through a sieve or with a fork break any big lumps.
To the flour add oil and salt.
Add 1/2 cup water and using a whisk slowly mix and make a smooth lump free mix. (don't add all the water at a time).
Cover and let the batter rest for 15 minutes.
Whisk the batter vigorously 4-5 times.
Slowly add 1 tablespoon of water at a time and mix well until the desired consistency is achieved. The batter should be of thick but pouring consistency. (Check the video below to check the consistency).
If you are planning to make colourful boondi, take half a ladle of batter in a separate bowl. Add 2-3 drops of food colour( you could use orange or green colour)
Heat enough oil or ghee in a pan.
To prepare boondi, pour a ladle of batter slowly over the skimmer (jhara) or grater.
Don't hold the skimmer too far or too close to the oil. It should be 3-4 inches above the oil.
When the boondi start to float, stir occasionally to cook it evenly. The boondi need not be brown. After one minute, using a slotted spoon remove the boondi from oil , drain and keep it aside.
Clean the skimmer (jhara) before the next round.
Add fried boondi to hot sugar syrup and mix well. Let it sit in sugar syrup for 4-5 hours.
Drain extra sugar syrup by placing the boondi in a colander or remove boondi using a slotted spoon.
Garnish boondi with some chopped pistachio or almonds.
At the end of the recipe, I have included detailed notes and a troubleshooting guide. Please do check.