Postor Bora | Bengali Poppy Seed Fritters Recipe

Postor Bora, also known as poppy seed fritters are a classic Bengali snack. They are made from a poppy seed paste- posto bata combined with other ingredients. We typically enjoy them as part of our regular meal, alongside rice and lentils.

Shitol Shosti Spread

The day after Saraswati Puja, which was Shitol Shoshthi, I shared a photo on Instagram of a full Bengali vegetarian meal. This meal included dishes like Panta Bhat, Bhoger Khichuri, Niramish Aloor Dum, Gota Sheddo, Postor Bora, and Kuler Chutney. Many people asked me for the recipes for these dishes. This is a traditional meal my family has prepared for Shitol Shoshthi for years. While I've already shared recipes for Bengali Niramish Khichuri, Choto Aloor Dum, and Gota Shiddo on my blog, I haven't yet posted the recipes for Postor Bora and Kuler Chutney (though they are now available). So, I plan to share those recipes now. This particular post will focus on how to make Bengali Posto'r Bora, or Poppy Seed Fritters.

Posto, a ghoti favorite?

As a Bengali, especially a Ghoti from West Bengal, I have always loved dishes that feature posto, or poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are a common ingredient in both my parents' and my in-laws' homes and are used regularly in many different meals.

While my mother only uses Posto once a week, my mother-in-law loves it and cooks with it almost every day, making dishes like Aloo Posto, Posto Mangsho, Shak diye Posto, Posto Bata, or Postor Bora.

Postor Bora Recipe variations

The way my mother makes Postor Bora is different from my mother-in-law's method. My mother's recipe doesn't use onion or garlic, but my mother-in-law includes them. Both versions are equally tasty and comforting. Here, I'll share the recipe for the Postor Bora without onion or garlic, and I'll provide the recipe for the onion and garlic version in a separate post. I clearly remember my mother quickly preparing Posto-r Bawra, Bati Posto, or Aloo Posto for me to eat with rice before I left for university in the morning. That meal was my go-to comfort food.

In fact, there are many variations of poppy seed fritters. Some recipes include onion or boiled potato in the paste. You can make smaller, almost pea-sized fritters, or larger, flatter ones like mine. Another delicious option is the coconut and poppy seed fritter. I will share those recipes in the future.

Instruction Step-by-step

Making perfect Postor bora - Tips

Postor Bora or Poppy Seed Fritter is a common Bengali munchie (fritter) prepared with a paste of Poppyseed. We serve it as part of our regular meal along with rice and Daal. However, Postor Bora goes amazingly as an evening snack with a hot cup of tea. Crunchy on the outside, softer on the inside, and loaded with poppyseed paste, it is a treat. Maa makes it as simple as possible, using only Green Chilli and salt to make the stuffing. She adds a little Rice Flour to give Postor Bora extra crunchiness.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here's how I make Postor Bora at Debjanir Rannaghar

Recipe Card

Postor Bora | Bengali Poppy Seed Fritters Recipe

Poppy Seed Fritters, also known as Postor Bora, are a classic Bengali snack made from a paste of poppy seeds and other ingredients. We often enjoy them as part of our regular meals, served with rice and Dal - especially kolai-er Dal.

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Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Bengali

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: bengali posto-r bora, Debjanir Rannaghar, Posto Recipe, Postor bora recipe, postor bora recipe debjanir rannaghar

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 People

Calories: 347kcal

Author: Debjani Chatterjee

Cost: Rs 250

Ingredients

• 100 g Posto Dana/ Poppyseed
• 1 tablespoon Rice Flour
• 3-4 Green Chilli
• ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste
• 5 tablespoon Mustard Oil for frying

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Instructions

• 
• First, wash and soak poppy seeds in water for about 30 minutes.
This helps create a smooth paste, especially if you're using a mixer grinder.
• Next, combine the soaked poppy seeds with green chilies.
Adjust the number of chilies to your preferred level of spice for the Posto Bata. For example, I use about 4 green chilies for every 100 grams of poppy seeds.
• Blend these ingredients into a smooth paste.
Be careful not to add too much water; the paste needs to be thick, as we won't be adding extra binders like potato for the Postor Borafritters. You can also use a traditional grinding stone (shil-batta) to make the paste.
• Now, add salt and rice flour to the poppy seed paste and mix well with a spoon.
The rice flour is essential for making the Postor Bora crispy.
• Heat mustard oil in a pan until its color changes.
Remember, you don't need to deep-fry Postor Bora. Shallow-frying is key to achieving a perfect fritter with a crispy outside and a soft, buttery inside.
• Finally, use your hand or a spoon to scoop some of the paste and shape it into a flattened disc. Look at the picture to see the exact shape.
• Spoon the poppy seed paste into hot oil and fry on low heat until the fritter turns golden brown and crispy on one side. This will take about a minute.
• Flip the fritter and fry the other side for another minute.
• Remove the poppy seed fritters and use a kitchen towel or tissue paper to soak up any extra oil.
• Serve these fritters with rice and your favorite lentil dish.

Notes

There are many kinds of poppy seed fritters. Some recipes add onion or boiled potato to the paste. Some are small, almost like beads, while others are larger and flatter, like the ones I make. There's even a coconut and poppy seed fritter. Each one tastes unique, and I'll share those recipes later.

Nutrition

Serving: 10g | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 28.8g | Protein: 3.8g | Fat: 24.3g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 77mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 0.3g

Pairing Postor Bora

These are my favorite dishes to serve with Bengali Poppy Seed Fritters, apart from Steamed Rice.

Related Recipes that use posto

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Let's Connect

I would love to see a picture if you are making the prawns following my recipe. You can share here at [email protected]. You can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar and share it through Instagram as well. and in addition, you can tag me at @foodofdebjani.

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About Debjani Chatterjee Alam

I am Debjani Chatterjee Alam. A CSR specialist by profession and a food writer, food blogger, and food photographer as well. I live in Kolkata along with my Husband Mehebub who is an architect by profession, my daughter Pasta, and also my dog daughters Coffee and Luchi.

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