Rosh Bora for Sankranti

Happy Sankranti!!

This is my first post for 2021, and wanted to start with a sweet note, and what better than an authentic Bengali sweet prepared during Poush Parbon.

Poush Parbon is a special day for me, even though I have grown up in a single family household, this was the day when all aunts, uncles and cousins gathered at our house for the special treats made my mom; dudh puli, patishapta, gokul pithe, rosh bora and so many other pithe. This time I thought of sharing my mom’s recipe for rosh bora.

Rosh bora is one of the easiest Bengali sweets you can make. It gets ready in minutes and is a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

1 cup soaked skinless urad dal
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon semolina
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoon milk
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
5-6 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Oil for frying

Directions:

Soak the dried lentils overnight, or at a minimum of 6 hours. Grind them o a fine paste with as little water as possible in a grinder.
Mix the baking powder, fennel seeds, semolina and milk, mix with a your hand but don’t knead. See this video to check if your batter is ready.
In a deep bottom pot add the water and sugar and boil till you get a one string consistency, about 12 minutes. Add the cardamom and lemon juice. Keep aside
In a frying pan heat oil, take about a tablespoon of batter and fry the boras in the hot oil till all the sides turn light brown. Use a slotted spoon to take it out of the oil and dunk it in the sugar syrup.
Serve warm or cool.
You can keep the boras covered in air tight container in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Chef’s tips: Using the lemon juice helps the syrup to not form crystals. If the sugar syrup is too sticky add a little more water, too thick syrup wont get inside the boras.