Paat (corchorus olitorious) saag is the Bengali word for the leaves of a jute plant. Besan is usually avoided in this bora because it is felt that the flour masks the taste of the leaf; even the rice flour is used minimally – only as a binding agent and not to coat the leaves.
Ingredients
- 250 gm jute leaves, cleaned
- 3-4 tbsp rice flour
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
- 2 tsp chopped green chillies
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- 250 ml mustard oil
Preparation
- Mix all the ingredients, except the oil, and massage lightly for the rice flour to coat the leaves. Once the mixture starts binding, you can add extra rice flour or even wheat flour to make it more firm.
- Heat the oil to medium-hot. Press a handful of the mix between your palms to make a flat bora and deep-fry.
- Serve hot with tea or coffee or as a starter with meals.
Excerpted with permission from Pakodas: The Snack for All Seasons, Sangeeta Khanna, Westland.
Sangeeta Khanna is a food and nutrition consultant. She is the author of the blogs Healthfood Desivideshi and Banaras ka Khana.
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