Postor Bora (Bengali recipe: Poppy Seed Fritters)

This Postor Bora is one of my sister’s absolute favorites. She loves it so much that my mom prepared these fritters especially for her amidst all the wedding preparations. Granted, preparing these boras is not a monumental task but then you combine it with all the extra tasks you have to take care for a wedding and you will know. Well, as my mom always says, ‘You will know better when you become a mom yourself’. I guess some things are better understood at a certain age/ at a certain point in our life. She decided to skip her nap time and postponed a few other chores so that she can prepare these boras. It was certainly worth it when I saw the sweet smile on my sister’s face.

This delicious postor bora is a common munching item in most Bengali families. You can serve them as snacks with a cup of hot tea or as a side item with rice and dal. In our home, mom always serves these as a snack. The boras have a crunchy texture on the outside and are soft on the inside. 

Posto in itself is quite versatile. You can use it to prepare not only vegetarian dishes but non-vegetarian dishes as well. It brings a rich texture and flavor in the mutton curries while keeps the vegetarian dishes like Alu Posto simple and flavorful. Price wise Posto falls under more expensive spices but you don’t need a lot of Posto to prepare these fritters. Even when we are using it in other dishes, 2-3 tablespoons will be all you need so it is worth the money.

Make sure to serve the fritters hot. The best time to serve them is immediately right after frying. Do not refrigerate them and if you do, re-fry them instead of microwaving to achieve that same crunchy texture.

Also, very important point, use only white poppy seeds which can be easily found at your local Indian stores. Refer to my article - Know more about Posto (Poppy Seeds) for more information.

Ingredients:

• White Poppy Seeds – ½ cup
• Rice – ½ cup
• Green Chilis – 2
• Salt – about ½ teaspoon (or as per taste)
• Canola Oil – about 3-4 cups (to deep fry)

Directions:

• Wash the Rice and Poppy Seeds together. Drain and let them soak in water for 2 hours.
• Drain the mixture. Transfer to your Nutri Bullet (use the extractor blade), add Green Chilis and add 1-2 tablespoons of water (or as required) to make a thick paste. You may have to run two batches.
• Add Salt and whisk to mix.
• Heat Oil in a wok over medium high heat.
• Using a spoon, drop dollops of paste into the hot oil. Refer to How to Deep-Fry food with Confidence and How to check if the oil is hot enough to fry.
• Fry till golden in color. Transfer to a dish lined with paper towel.
• Serve hot!

Love Poppy Seeds? Try these recipes as well:

• Alu Posto (Bengali recipe: Potatoes with Poppy Seeds)
• Kancha Posto (Bengali recipe: Raw Poppy Seeds Paste)
• Mutton Rezala (Bengali recipe: Tender Meat in Cashew Poppy Seed sauce)
• Jhinge Alu Posto (Ridge Gourd and Potatoes With Poppy Seeds)