Kabiraji

Photo and Recipe courtesy: Dr. Debarshi Chatterji

As I wrote in my previous article - Kabiraji Paratha, the word Kabiraji means frying fish or chicken cutlets (thin slices of meat) in a batter of egg. Debarshi improvised the recipe to prepare some yummy fried breads stuffed with Potatoes and Egg. Here we will learn how to reuse the Pur (stuffing) to prepare delicious boras (fritters) but instead of dipping the Pur in a batter of egg, we will dip it in a batter of gram flour. This will bring that rustic taste in the boras and also make them absolutely scrumptious!

Now, if you already have some Pur left then you can proceed to the directions. For those who are trying this the first time, you will need the following ingredients and directions to prepare the Pur.

Ingredients for the Pur (stuffing):

• Potato –1 big russet potato, cut in half
• Salt – about 2 pinches for boiling the potatoes + ¼ teaspoon for frying the eggs + about ½ teaspoon for making the Pur 
• Eggs – 3, large
• Oil – 2-3 teaspoons (for frying the eggs) + 4 tablespoons (for making the Pur) + about 2-3 cups for frying the fritters
• Onion – ½ cup, finely chopped
• Green Chilies - 2-4, chopped
• Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon
• Cilantro – about ½ cup chopped
• Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Red Chili Powder – ¼ teaspoon
• Coriander Powder – ½ teaspoon
• Garam Masala – ½ teaspoon
• Amchur – ½ teaspoon

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. Wash the potato and put it in the pressure cooker with enough water to cover it.
• 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 potato from the cooker and place it in a bowl filled with ice.
• Allow 5-10 minutes then touch cautiously to check if the potato is cool enough to handle.
• Peel the potato (carefully certain spots may still be hot).

Let’s fry the eggs:

• Heat a skillet over medium heat and add 2-3 teaspoons of oil in it.
• Add the eggs in it one by one.
• When the eggs begin to set, sprinkle the Salt (¼ teaspoon) and gently pull the eggs across the pan with an inverted spatula, forming large soft curds. Continue cooking – pulling, lifting and folding eggs – until it is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly. 
• Remove from heat and transfer to a plate.

Tips: 

• Keep the eggs soft, do not over fry them. See the below photo? This is how they should look.
• Make sure you are not dropping any egg shells in the skillet. If you are having trouble, use a small bowl. Crack each egg into the bowl, check for shell fragments, then pour it into the pan. This is also a great way to make sure that we are not using any rotten eggs.

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. 

Tip:

• To ensure that there are no lumps in the batter I whisk the batter continuously while adding water.

Let’s prepare the Pur (Stuffing):

• Mash the boiled potato and the egg together. You can use your hands to remove any lumps (let it cool down before using your hands).

• Heat a wok over medium high heat.
• Add about 4 tablespoons of Oil in it.
• Add the Cumin Seeds and let them sputter.
• Add the Onion and Green Chili in the wok and fry them till they are golden brown in color (caramelizing the onion ensures that it mixes well with the mashed potato and egg).
• Add the mashed Potato and egg in it and mix well.
• Fry the mixture for a while then start adding the spices (Salt, Cumin Powder, Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala and Amchur). Mix everything well and fry the whole mixture on medium heat for about 15 minutes. 
• Add the Cilantro, mix well and fry for another 10 to 15 minutes.
• Allow the Pur to cool down a bit.
• The prepared Pur will look like below. 

Let’s prepare the Boras:

• Allow the prepared Pur to cool down a bit so that it’s easier to handle.
• Heat the oil (2-3 cups) in a wok over medium high heat.
• Mold small balls of the Pur. It will be sticky and spicy so use a spoon and dip them in the batter. If using hands, wash them before and after.
• Keep an oven safe dish on the kitchen counter and line it with a paper towel.
• 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, onion 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.

Recommended reading: 

• Kabiraji Paratha (Fried bread stuffed with Potatoes and Egg)
• Pyaz Ke Pakore (Onion Fritters)
• Alur Bora (Mamma’s Potato with Garlic fritters)
• Samosa (Spicy Potato stuffed Pastries)
• Make Cumin Powder at Home
• Garam Masala
• How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence? 
• How to check if the Oil is hot enough to fry
• Dhania Chutney (Cilantro Chutney)
• Food Chopper and its Importance in Our Kitchen
• Muri Bhaja (Fried Puffed Rice)
• Picnic at Smithville Lake, Missouri
• Chicken Alu Cutlets (Crispy Chicken and Potato Patties)
• 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)
• Baked Cumin / Nigella Seeds Namkeens
• Egg Devil (Bengali recipe of Croquettes with egg and minced meat/ Indian Scotch Eggs)
• 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)
• Paneer Pakore (Fresh Cheese Fritters)