Taaler Bora
Crispy, sticky complexly flavoured palmyra pulp fritters
- Cooking time60 mins
Calories448kcal
Taal'er bora for Bengalis is not just a dish but a marker of time, a temporal milestone along the annual calendar. If you live in Bengal, this phenomenon is hard to miss. Come August, you are bound to either encounter the giant, ripe fruits in your local market, or, if you are lucky, a neighbour or relative will appear with a bowl of these still warm, bittersweet fritters. One way or the other, you will find out that it is taal'er bora season.
You have just over a month to enjoy all the delicacies made out of the amber pulp of taal—taal'er bora, taal kheer, taal'er luchi, taal pitha and various other stuffed sweetmeats; because after September these fruits disappear, only to pop up again in August next year.
Taal (তাল) is the Bangla name for the toddy or palmyra palm fruit. The taal tree is an important part of Bengal's natural landscape. It is a giant among giants, being the tallest tree in Bengal's flora of tall palms such as the coconut, date and betel palms. When these massive fruits ripen in the late monsoon, the tree simply drops them to the ground from its towering heights. They drop with a dull thud which is when people go and collect them.
This is how we make taal'er bora at home. In this recipe we've documented the exact proportions we use, with some guidance on how concentrated you want the taal pulp to be, how thick the batter should be, and how much sugar or flour to add, as well as pointed out some variables to keep in mind when following this recipe at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ingredients
- 300 g taal/palmyra pulp (from roughly 1 medium taal)
- 30 g sooji (semolina)
- 20 g rice flour
- 2 g salt
- 100 g sugar
- 35 g grated coconut
- 45 g plain flour
- vegetable oil for frying
Method
- Extract the taal pulp as shown in the video, using no added water (to keep the pulp thick and concentrated).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the taal pulp, sooji, rice flour, salt and sugar. The amount of sugar you add will depend on how sweet your taal is.
- Mix well, and allow this mixture to soak for 2 hours. This will allow time for the sugar to melt and for the sooji to swell.
- Just before you are ready to fry, mix in the grated coconut and plain flour. We're adding flour at the last minute to prevent gluten-formation to keep the fritters light and crisp.
- Drop little dollops (~12g each) in oil set on medium heat (~150°C), and fry them for 10 mins or so until they turn dark brown. We like to really darken the exterior to achieve a more complex caramel-y flavour.
