Bok Phul'er Bora
Light, crisp batter-fried hummingbird tree flowers
- Cooking time30 minutes
Calories78kcal
Bok phool translates literally to "heron flower"—called so because of the flower's uncanny resemblance to the bird. The flowers bloom between monsoon and winter. Every market has at least one or two people who sell bok phool in a large round wicker basket, the flowers arranged neatly in a concentric pattern.
The tree can grow quite tall. Every other year, sometime in summer, my father trims the bok phool tree in our garden, and cuts off the upper branches. The tree grows back again by autumn. Bok phool can be cooked in many different ways, but my favourite are these batter fried fritters called bok phool'er bora.
If you have been following our channel for some time, you are sure to have encountered this batter recipe before. It is my maternal grandmother's recipe. Instead of chickpea flour or rice flour, this recipe uses a mix of plain flour and semolina that produces a light but crunchy (not crispy) exterior. It stays crunchy even after an hour of frying even in Calcutta's humidity!
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
- 12 bok phul (hummingbird tree flowers)
- 70 g maida (all-purpose flour)
- 30 g sooji (semolina)
- 1 tsp posto (poppy seeds)
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp red chilli powder
- 3 g salt
- 12 g sugar
- 5 g mustard oil
- 120–135 g water
- oil for deep-frying
Method
- Remove the central stalk-like stamen/pistil of the bok phul.
- Wash the flowers thoroughly, and leave them to dry completely.
- Prepare a batter with maida, sooji, poppy seeds, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt, sugar, and mustard oil.
- Disperse the mustard oil into the flour. If preparing ahead of time, you can leave the batter at this stage.
- When you are ready to fry, heat oil for deep-frying.
- Finish making the batter, by adding 120–135g water to the mixture. Combine well.
- Dip each flower in the batter, shake off any excess, and gently lower it into the hot oil.
- Take your time and fry on medium-low heat (~180°C oil temp) until crisp and golden.
- Consume hot with rice and dal.
