By Rajan Bhattacharya
August 21, 2024
Celebrate Janmashtami with Taler Bora, a traditional Bengali fritter made from the rich pulp of the sugar palm fruit. This sweet and crunchy treat is a festive favourite, perfect for this special occasion.
1 ripe Tal (Sugar Palm) 200g sugar cane jaggery (Akher Gur) 1 medium coconut, grated 1.5 cups (250g) whole wheat flour (Atta) ½ cup (75g) semolina (Sooji) ½ cup (75g) rice flour (Chal er Atta) 1 tsp nigella seeds (Kalojire or Kalonji) 300ml refined vegetable oil for deep frying
Extract the pulp from the ripe tal by pressing the kernels and separating the fibrous juice.
Cook the extracted tal juice on medium heat until it thickens to the consistency of condensed milk.
Allow the juice to cool, then mix in whole wheat flour, semolina, rice flour, and nigella seeds.
Stir in grated coconut and sugar cane jaggery until the batter is smooth and well combined. Heat oil in a deep pan and carefully drop spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil.
Fry the Taler Bora on medium heat until they turn deep brown and crispy. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, and serve at room temperature for the best taste.