Bandhakopir Bora / Cabbage Fritters

May be winter is calling me...because I am currently so drawn towards cabbage and cauliflowers and spring onions. The wholesome winter favourites of Kolkata. In my family I was the only one who loved to eat cabbage like anything. Give me cabbage and will gobble down anything with it, rice or chapatti or luchi. Yummm!!!! And when in between you bite the green goddesses in the form of green peas, it literally felt heaven on earth. I used to wait for winter mostly because winter was packed with all the deliciousness from the food haven.

When bandhakopir torkari became to much for all of us, even with the repeatations of fish head and prawns...ma used to make these crispy cabbage fritters or bandhakopir bora to go with the dal and rice. If some were left behind, I used to eat them with muri or puffed rice in the evening. Or may be with some milky Indian Chai, dipping the fritters into a bowl of ketchup...it felt like living life king size!!!

But now I scarcely eat Muri and I don’t even like the typical taste of tomato ketchup. I rather prefer the readymade Schezuan Sauce, which is a little garlicky and spicy. On the lighter note, there is a garlic and chilli paste available in the Asian section of the supermarket, which I just love to eat with even simple chapatti. And if I want to have something sweeter, then the Thai sweet chilli sauce is my ultimate stop. Its adorable. Sweet, tangy and with dry red chilli specs...its a combination that has it all.

So this time, this is what I did. I ate some with the rice and put the rest of the batter in the fridge. In the evening I fried them and drizzled some thai sweet chilli sauce over them. Made myself a big mug of coffee and started reading A clash of the Kings. C’est parfait!!!!

Bandhakopir Bora / Cabbage Fritters

Makes 10-12 medium fritters

Ingredients:

250gm / half of a medium cabbage – shredded

1 small onion – chopped

2 green chillies – chopped

1 inch ginger – finely chopped

A handful of fresh coriander leaves – finely chopped

½ cup gram flour / besan

1 tsp nigella seeds

1 tsp carom seeds

2-3 tsp corn starch / corn flour

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp bhaja mosla ( dry roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chilli and some black peppercorns for 2 minutes or until you start to get their aroma. Grind them them to a fine powder after dry roasting. Store in an airtight container.)

Salt

Oil to deep / shallow fry

Method:

Blanch the shredded cabbage with some salt in boiling water for 10 minutes, or until they become soft.

Once done strain the water and keep them aside to cool down.

When the temperature has dropped enough to handle them squeeze the shredded cabbages with hand to drain out most of their water and keep aside.

In a big bowl take the gram flour and little water.

Make a batter of medium thick consistency. Now start to whip with hand or using a wire whisk or kitchen aid, until it takes the consistency of whipping cream and increase in size.

Now add the salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, nigella seeds, carom seeds, bhaja mosla, corn flour and salt. Mix to incorporate everything evenly.

Then add in the blanched and drained shredded cabbage, chopped onions, chopped green chillies, chopped ginger and chopped green chillies.

You can shallow fry or deep fry according to your preference.

Use a spoon to scoop them out and fry accordingly.