Pui Shak Chingri Bora (Malabar Spinach & Prawn Pakora / Fritters - Bong style)

 

          These are simple Bengali homemade style pakoras made of Pui Shak or Malabar Spinach and prawns. For a veg. version, just omit the prawns. These crispy fritters are a great accompaniment to our normal dal-chawal or khichdi. You can also relish them as a rainy day tea time snack or as an appetizer with kasundi (bottled mustard sauce) or any chutney. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare these amazing pakoras.

          Bengalis generally make a curry of these creepers with pumpkin, eggplants, potato, broad beans, etc. Like other greens, Pui Shak too, has a lot of health benefits in the form of vitamin, calcium, protein, iron and fibre. 

           It is cooked with bori (dried lentil dumplings) for the veg. version and prawns / fish head for the non-veg. version. However, pakoras made with them also tastes yummy too. So do give it a try and enjoy them on a rainy day or on a chilled winter night. It is so comforting. 

• 2-3 cups Pui Shak, washed, drained & finely chopped
• 8-10 prawns, deveined, cleaned & rinsed well
• 2-3 green chilies
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, chopped
• salt to taste
• 3-4 tbsp. gram flour
• 1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. red chili powder
• 1 tsp. roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds
• oil to deep fry

          In a bowl, add a pinch of salt to the chopped pui shak and marinate for 5-10 minutes. Then mash well.

          Pound the prawns, garlic and green chilies coarsely. Add to the Pui Shak and along with the  remaining ingredients (except oil). Sprinkle water accordingly. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.

 

          Wet your hands and take a little portion of the batter and form into equal size pakoras and keep them ready to be deep fried.

          Heat oil in a pan / kadai. Gently drop the pakoras in the hot oil. Fry on a low flame on both sides till golden in colour.

    

          Drain on a kitchen towel and serve them hot as a tea time snack, as an appetizer with kasundi / green chutney or as a side dish with dal-chawal or khichdi.

                       In a bowl, add a pinch of salt to the chopped pui shak & marinate for

                       5-10 minutes. Then mash well.

                       Pound the prawns, garlic & green chilies coarsely. Add to the Pui Shak 

                       along with the remaining ingredients (except oil). Sprinkle water accordingly. 

                                  Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.

                      Wet your hands. Take a little portion of the batter & form into equal

                      size pakoras and keep them ready to be deep fried.

                         Heat oil in a pan / kadai. Gently drop the pakoras in the hot oil. Fry 

                         on a low flame on both sides till golden in colour.

  

                                  Drain on a kitchen towel.

                    Serve them hot as a tea time snack, as an appetizer with kasundi / green 

                    chutney or as a side dish with dal-chawal,

Pui Shaker Bora (Malabar Spinach Pakoras / Fritters - Bong style)

 

          Check out for these simple Bengali homemade style pakoras made of Pui Shak or Malabar Spinach. They are also called Basella Alba. These crispy fritters are a great accompaniment to our normal dal-chawal or khichdi. You can also relish them as a tea time snack or as an appetizer with any chutney or kasundi (bottled mustard sauce).

          Bengalis generally make a curry of these creepers with pumpkin, eggplants, potato, broad beans, etc. Like other greens, Pui Shak too, has a lot of health benefits in the form of vitamin, calcium, protein, iron and fibre. 

           It is cooked with bori (dried lentil dumplings) for the veg. version and prawns / fish head for the non-veg. version. However, pakoras made with them also tastes yummy too. So do give it a try and enjoy.

• 2 cups Pui Shaak (Malabar Spinach), washed, drained & finely chopped
• 1/3 cup gram flour (besan)
• 1/4 cup rice flour 
• pinch of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste 
• 2 green chilies, chopped
• salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander-cumin powder
• oil to shallow fry

          In a bowl, add a pinch of salt and turmeric powder to the chopped pui shak and marinate for 5 minutes. Then mash well.

          Mix with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle water accordingly. Cover and keep aside for 5 minutes.

          Heat oil in a pan / kadai. Wet your hands and take a little portion of the batter and gently drop in the hot oil. 

          Fry on a low flame on both sides till golden in colour. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve them hot as a side dish with dal-chawal, as a tea time snack or as an appetizer.

Kumro Pata Bora (Pumpkin Leaves Pakoras / Fritters - Bengali Style)

       
          These amazing Pumpkin leaves can be made into many delicious recipes like curry, chutney and now these delicious pakoras / fritters. You must have come across them, growing almost everywhere. Just pick up some tender leaves and make these yummy pakoras and relish them as appetizers with some chutney / sauce as an evening tea-time snack or as an accompaniment to dal-rice combo. So check out the step by step pictorial recipe to prepare this traditional Bengali delicacy.

• 10-12 Pumpkin Leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup besan (gram flour)
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tsp. nigella seeds (kalonji)
• pinch of baking soda
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1-2 green chilies, chopped
• 1 tsp. ginger, grated
• oil to deep fry / shallow fry

          In a bowl, combine together all the above mentioned ingredients (except oil). Add required quantity of water and prepare a thick batter. keep aside for 10 minutes.

          Heat oil in a pan and drop spoonful of the batter. Fry on a low flame on all sides till light golden in colour. 

          Drain on a tissue paper and serve hot with sauce or chutney as an appetizer or as a side dish with rice-dal combo.

                                 Pumpkin plant growing on the terrace of my parents home.

                                  Take few tender leaves. Wash & rinse them.

                                  Chop them roughly. 

                   In a bowl, take besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, ginger, green chilies, 
                   onion, nigella seeds & baking soda.

                     Add chopped greens & make a batter with required quantity of water.

                                Heat oil & drop spoonful in it. Fry till light golden in colour.

                                 Drain on a tissue paper.

                   Serve them hot with some chutney / kasundi as an appetizer, as an evening
                   tea-time snack or as an accompaniment to dal-chawal.