Biuli Dal-er Boda/ Biri Bora/Urad Dal Vada/ Lentil Fritters

Snacks are so-o-o-o tempting, mainly the deep-fried ones. There are many who like to avoid deep-fried ones, some for health reasons, others for fitness aims and there may be many reasons unknown to me.

Whatever be the intention, the kitchen is wide open to cater to the needs of the different kind of explanations.

No chance of compromise with this serving of Bodas/Boras/Vadas today. Purpose – another snack – easy to make, tasty to eat, appetising to the palate and attractive to the sight, inviting at the first view, and much more but all that ends once you get the bite and taste of it…all in reality.

More so you can call this Bhaji or Bhajjia, or as in Bengali you can call it Tele Bhaja, have your cup of hot tea ready as you relish them. You need not worry for the rain to fall or the cold to give the bite, this snack is for all throughout the year…no time and day specified if you want to cook something that you like.

Coming to the Bodas/Boras/Vadas, it needs some time for the preparation. One needs to think of making it well in advance. 

So to get ready for the Preparation:

Soak 1 ½ cup Urad dal/Biuli dal/Biri Dal, overnight.

Rest of the ingredients:

2 medium size onions chopped

3-4 green chillies chopped

8-10 curry leaves (optional)

Semolina/Suji/Rawa 1 ½ tbsp.

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

For the final call:

Make a paste of the soaked Dal, not very fine. To this add the chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, semolina/suji and salt. The suji makes the outer coat crunchy. Mix it well.

Once the oil is hot, throw in the fritters/boras/bodas with the help of your fingers or you can take the help of a table spoon. These boras are simple home-made ones, so need not worry about a perfect shape. Be sure the oil is not burning hot as this will not let the inner portion be cooked properly. Fry the Boras/Vadas till it starts getting the brown colour.

Once they are ready, arrange the plate and serve with some home-made chutney of pudina, dhania or tamarind or some bottled sauce will do. Get the bite and smack your lips and in your mind you can say, “Ah! What a snack”. Simply simple isn’t it?

You can also visit and follow me on Facebook.

© gouriguha 2013

Suji (Semolina) Upma

I was in bed for days, down with fever. Even after the fever left me for good, I was not the usual self that I am. I tried to spend some time on my internet, but was unable to sit with it for a long time. So I was left with little reading, posting fewer comments and no posts from my end...really boring lying down all the time.

After feeling better I made Suji Upma and how I relished it, for by now I was fed up with the food I ate. And this upma tasted heavenly, maybe because I didn’t get to eat my normal food for so many days.

I looked for the suji/semolina container which had been misplaced in my absence from the kitchen. Measured a cup of it and dry roasted it till it started to get the pinkish touch. Kept it aside. Took an onion, a big one, and cut it. The onion pieces sat on a plate while I took the next step.

Placed the kadhai on the burning stove and poured 2 tbsp of groundnut refined oil. Once it was hot added some curry leaves and then put in 1 tbsp of chana dal, 1tsp of mustard seeds and once the
spluttering started added the onion pieces and gave it a stir. When the onion started to lose its firmness added 2 cups of water and let it come to a boil. Then came the salt and soon added the roasted suji and kept on stirring. Before the water dried up totally, added 1 tbsp of ghee and my Upma was ready.

I gobbled up the simple dish like someone who had not eaten for days. And then had a cup of tea...felt so good.