Name: Paat pata’r bora
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8 pieces
Cuisine: Indian

Yields

8 pieces

Cooking Time

30 minutes

Ingredients

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
135 g water
Plenty of oil for deep frying

‍

Possibly our favourite thing about the monsoons. Paat (পাট) is Bengali for jute, the same fibre that is used to weave gunny sacs or burlap. Jute is a plant native to Bengal and has been cultivated here for thousands of years. With the setting up of the first mechanised jute mill in India in Rishra in 1855, gunny sacs began to be exported all over the world. Even today 80 per cent of the world's jute is cultivated in the Gangetic delta. Naturally, jute leaves are used extensively in Bengali cuisine. When cooked, the leaf has a mild flavour, and a slightly slimy, fibrous (somewhat like mustard greens) texture. If you don't have access to jute leaves, you can also use spinach leaves to make this fritter.

Recipe Notes

Method

Check leaves for bugs or dirt. Soak and wash thoroughly in water. Drain excess water. Each fritter is made with a bunch of 4–5 leaves held together by the stem.
Prepare a batter with 70 g all-purpose flour, 30 g semolina, 1 tsp poppy seeds, ¼ tsp turmeric, ¼ tsp red chilli powder, 3 g salt, 12 g sugar, 5 g mustard oil, and 135 g water. Let this rest for 15 minutes. The semolina will soak up water, swell, and thicken the batter. If you want a lighter coating add a little more water.
Heat oil in a wok or korai big enough to fit the leaves flat. Wait for the oil to get hot (190ºC).
Check that the leaves are quite dry. Dip each bunch in the batter and gently lower into the hot oil. Turn every minute and fry until brown and crispy.
Serve as a side with a dal and plain rice.