Alur Bora (Mamma’s Potato with Garlic fritters)

Photo Courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

Today I am going to share my favorite Bora (or Pakora) recipe – Alur Bora. I got the recipe from my mom and hence it’s only fitting to name the recipe as Mamma’s Potato with Garlic Fritters.

So, what is a Fritter?

Before answering that question, let me ask you, what is your favorite ingredient? Is it meat or seafood? or perhaps you like vegetables. What if I tell you that you can enjoy your favorite ingredients as an appetizer or snack in a fun way at a party or a get together. Sounds interesting? Well all you need to do is follow some simple instructions, add some spices, a layer of batter (and sometimes breading) and fry it. The result? Crisp, beautiful golden colored fritters which taste like snacks sent straight from heaven. Yes! an absolute crowd pleaser too. Now before proceeding further let me clarify that the Bengali word for fritters is Bora and Hindi word is Pakora. 

What are the different types of Fritters?

Well, the list for this delicious appetizer is endless but to name a few American Fritters, I will say - Corn Fritters, Zucchini Fritters and Apple Fritters. I love savory Indian fritters with lots of spices and if you have already tried my recipes - Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters) and French Chops, you will know that these fritters not only look amazing but taste divine too.

What’s special about Mamma’s Potato with Garlic Fritters?

I think I was in class 9th or 10th when a new snack vendor started his business near our home. He would open his shop everyday at 7 am and serve Bread Pakoras, Pyaz Pakoras, Mirchi Pakoras, Alu Pakoras (all different types of fritters prepared with Bread, onions, green chilies and potatoes), Jalebis (Indian version of pretzel, prepared with all purpose flour and dipped in a sugar syrup) with a hot steaming cup of Tea. Then he used to take a long lunch break during which he would work on the evening snacks. He used to reopen the shop at around 4pm and serve crispy Samosas, Namkeens (savory snacks), Laddus and Gulab Jamuns (different types of Indian sweets) with Tea. My mom loves to eat Jalebis and it is almost a weekend brunch tradition at our home to buy Jalebis and enjoy them with some Luchi and simple torkari (Puffed deep fried bread with some sautéed vegetables). It so happened that one day my dad went to buy some Jalebis from the shop and also bought a big packet of mixed Pakoras. I caught hold of one of these Alu Pakoras and was surprised with the aroma. There was a hint of garlic with the fresh fragrance of cilantro. Of course at that time I didn’t have all this knowledge but I knew that it was very different than the other Pakoras and tasted amazing. So I started bugging my dad to bring these boras every weekend and one day my mom surprised me by preparing these boras at home and presenting them as an evening snack. So, yes! this is just one of the many dishes which she prepares exclusively for me. 

Preparing the Bora:

The preparation is pretty straight forward, boil and mash the potatoes, mix the garlic and the spices with the cilantro, dip it in the batter and deep fry them. I have been making these boras myself for the last couple of years and let me tell you, preparing the filling is really easy. The catch is preparing a perfect batter which means it should have a thick consistency. I have wasted a lot of gram flour in this learning process. It would either turn out too thick or too thin. Gram flour absorbs water and hence it’s recommended to let the batter sit for at least 10-15 minutes. I found that the perfect batter ratio is 2:1, meaning 2 cups of gram flour and about 1 cup of water. I know it sounds very technical but believe me it’s these small steps which result in a great bora. Also, lumps are no good so mash the potatoes really good and use hands if required. The same goes for the batter, use a whisk to break all the lumps. Since we have to let the batter sit for some time, I recommend to prepare the batter first and then work on the filling.

When can I eat this delicious Bora?

These boras taste great when they are hot but you can always prepare them before hand and warm them up in the oven. Serve them with a cilantro chutney or ketchup.  Since they are easy to prepare, I often prepare them on demand (during the half time of a game or movie intermission). They are good for picnics and eat outs as well as they are easier to carry and can be served as finger foods. You can also serve them as appetizers and plan a nice entrée with it but my personal favorite combination is, with a cup of Tea. Eat it whenever you want, wherever you like, these bright, rustic and scrumptious boras will always make you happy.

Ingredients for the filling:

• Potatoes – 3 medium sized, cut in halves
• Garlic – 4-5 big cloves, grated
• Green Chilies - 6, chopped
• Cilantro – a handful, finely chopped 
• Salt – to taste (about ½ teaspoon for the filling + 2 pinches – to be used while boiling the Potatoes)
• Garam masala – ½ teaspoon 
• Oil – 3 cups (for frying)

Ingredients for the batter:

• Besan (Gram Flour) – 1 cup 
• Salt –about ¼ teaspoon 
• Red Chili powder - ½ teaspoon 
• Baking Soda – ¼ teaspoon

Let’s do a little prep:

• It’s time to take out the pressure cooker! Yes, wash the potatoes and put them in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover them.
• Add 2 pinches of Salt in it.
• Attach the rubber and the whistle on the lid and cover the cooker.
• Heat the cooker on medium heat and wait for 2-3 whistles.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Once the pressure drops and the lid opens, remove the potatoes from the cooker and place them in a bowl filled with ice.
• Allow 5-10 minutes then touch cautiously to check if the potatoes are cool enough to handle.
• Peel the potatoes (carefully certain spots may still be hot).

Let’s prepare the batter:

• Mix together the batter ingredients (Besan, Salt, Red Chili Powder and Baking Soda) and gradually add about half a cup of water in it. Make a smooth batter and put it aside. To ensure that there are no lumps in the batter I whisk the batter continuously while adding water.

Let’s prepare the filling:

• Drain all the water from the cooked potatoes and dry them completely.
• Using a masher, mash the potatoes. Make sure there aren’t any lumps in it. 
• Mix together the Garlic, Green Chilies, Cilantro, ½ teaspoon of Salt and Garam Masala into the mashed potatoes.

Finally let’s fry the Boras (fritters):

• Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat.
• Make small balls of the filling. It will be sticky and spicy so use a spoon and dip them in the batter. If using hands, wash them before and after.
• Coat the balls generously with the batter and carefully drop them in the wok. 
• Add a couple of boras at a time and do not over crowd the wok. Keep an eye on the color and temperature.
• Keep frying the boras till they are light golden brown in color. 
• Remove from the wok using a spider spoon and place them on a plate lined with paper towels.
• Serve hot with ketchup or Dhania chutney.

Tips:

• Skip the green chilies and the red chili powder if you don’t want the fritters taste hot. Always remember to improvise the recipe as per your palate.
• I always use my chopper to finely cut the green chilies, garlic and cilantro.
• Do not use any purple potatoes for this recipe. I always use russet potatoes.
• I sometimes mash the potatoes with my hands as it’s the easiest way to remove lumps. However, before touching, make sure they are not hot.
• Always use normal tap water to boil the potatoes, do not use hot water as it may result in uneven cooking.
• Keeping the heat on medium ensures a longer frying time and helps cook the batter evenly. You should of course turn it up a bit if the boras are looking greasy or taking forever to cook. Now if the boras are changing color quickly you may want to turn down the heat a bit.
• Do not skip the baking soda, it ensures that the boras turn up light and crisp. If you don’t have soda, try using double amount of baking powder.
• Try to use the back burner to deep fry the boras. Always be careful when dealing with hot oil.
• Debarshi likes a fried filling and it comes really handy if the potatoes are gooey. To fry the filling, heat a skillet on medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of oil in it. Add the filling and fry till the potatoes dry up a bit. Allow it to cool down (10-15 minutes) and then proceed to fry the bora.

Recommended Reading:

• How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry
• How to deep-fry food with confidence?
• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)
• French Chops
• Garam masala
• Allahabad - The City of Good Food
• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Kabiraji
• Picnic at Smithville Lake, Missouri
• Methi Pakora (Gram flour and Fenugreek leaves Fritters)
• Palak ke Pakore (Gram flour and Spinach Fritters)
• Jalapeno Poppers with Cream Cheese and Bacon
• Namkeen (Savory Deep Fried Indian Snacks)
• My Homemade Sausage and Feta Hors D'oeuvres
• My Homemade Spicy Potato Hors D'oeuvres 
• Mamma’s Dahi Bara (Lentil Fritters with creamy Yogurt, Chutney and Spices)
• Baked Cumin / Nigella Seeds Namkeens
• Egg Devil (Bengali recipe of Croquettes with egg and minced meat/ Indian Scotch Eggs)
• Masala Alu (Spiced Potatoes)
• Thandai (Refreshing Indian Drink)
• Bread Pakora (Deep fried Bread Fritters with Potato filling)
• Vegetable Cutlets
• Bread Pakora with Soa Alu (Deep fried Bread Fritters with Dill and Potato filling)
• Air fried Pakoras (Fritters)