All about Rosh bora
"Pasta seems your mother decided not to make Pithe this year. We have not had Rosh Bora even!"
"Hmmmmm Papa"
"Pasta do you even know what Pithe is?"
"No Papa!"
"Then why that Hmmmmm? You are just like your mother! Hmm is your favorite phrase whenever you think you don't need to answer!
"Hmmmmm Papa"
"Do you even know what Roshbora is? Dhus! let me talk to your mother. You are not going to help me"
"Hmmmmm Papa"
"She is just like you Debjani! She is a little snob."
"And?"
"and she does not know what is pithe and what is Rosh Bora!"
"So?"
"She had those right? I mean she started eating normal food for a long. She is a Bengali. You must understand."
"She is a Bengali girl and she is five years old. She does not know what Pithe is and what Rosh Bora is! I will tell her. Happy now?"
Jump to:
"Happy? what about practical knowledge? Theoretical data will not help her!"
"Yes, you are right! How about I let her know the theoretical part? You can help her with the practical details. Go and make some Rosh Bora Mehebub! You are a responsible Bengali father after all."
"I forgot you are a management professional as well! Sorry! How about I help you with a few things and you make Rosh Bora?"
"Say Please!!"
"Debjani can you please make some Rosh Bora for us? I will be responsible for the dinner I promise"
"hmmmmm Mamma's making Roshbora for us! I love it, mom. I love the syrup more than the dumpling!" Pasta uttered!
"She knows it!! She is just like you!!! Sarcastic to the power infinite!"
Our discussion ended as Mehebub decided to go down and clean the car; I decided to soak Korai Dal for Rosh Bora and Pasta decided to do nothing but wait for her portion of dumplings and syrup. Her definition of Rash Bora is quite hilarious yet not wrong. Let me now tell you what Roshbora is if you don't know about this amazing Bengali dessert.
What is Rosh Bora?
Rosh Bora is a winter delicacy, where Bora is soaked in light sweet syrup and served. Bora is nothing but Pakoda or Fritter. Basically, Rosh-Bora is Urad Dal Fritters soaked in light sweet syrup.
Tips!
Here I must tell you that syrup is the key component of this dessert. It must be light and diluted; lightly flavored with green cardamom. The syrup can be prepared either with Patali Gur (date palm jaggery) or Sugar. Patali gur makes it more flavorful. I prepare the syrup with Patali gur. However, if you are not available with it or making the Roshbora in another season you can substitute it with an equal amount of sugar.
Bora I guess is the easiest thing to make yet the most difficult part of this dish. According to my mother, the Bora must be crunchy and feathery light. It must soak the syrup properly and the syrup must have the smell of the Bora.
To be very frank Rosh bora does not have the class of Pithe Puli but it simply cannot be ignored. Simple Bora soaked in sugar/ Gur syrup, we cannot compare it with the class of Patisapta or Bhapa Pithe, or Mug Pakon but when it comes to the comfort level, Rosh Bora tops the list of Bengali winter desserts.
Here's how I make Rosh Bora at Debjanir Rannaghar!
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Rosh Bora
- Total Time: 8 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 8 People 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Rosh Bora is a Bengali style dessert where fried lentil fritters are soaked in Sugar/Jaggery syrup and served. It is a winter delicacy.
Ingredients
- 150g Kolai Dal/ Dhuli Urad Dal/ Black Gram without Skin (1 cup)
- 500g Patali Gur (Date Palm Jaggery)/ sugar
- 5 Green Cardamom
- ¼ Tsp. Salt
- Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tbsp. Ghee:
Instructions
To make the Bora/ Fritters:
- Wash and soak the dal overnight in water.
- Rince Dal and discard the water and then wash 2-3 times.
- Make a smooth paste of the Dal with ¼ Tsp. of salt.
- Add little water while making the paste.
- Add ½ cup of water to the paste and dilute it a bit and then using a whisk mix it until the mixture turns fluffy and light.
- Now heat Oil in a pan for frying the fritters.
- Add Ghee to the oil for better flavor.
- Once the oil is hot; pour a drop of the batter to check the oil. If the oil is sufficiently hot and the batter is having proper consistency; the drop will start increasing in size and will be porous.
- Pour 1 Tsp. of batter followed by another over the oil and increase the amount considering the diameter of the pan.
- Keep the flame on medium high and start frying the fritters using a perforated ladle.
- Once fried from one side, fry from another side as well.
- Once done, strain the fritters from the pan using the perforated ladle.
- Place the fritters over kitchen towel or tissue paper to soak excess oil.
- Following this process make the rest of the Fritters.
To make Rosh/ Syrup:
- Take 1 liter of water in a deep bottom vessel and boil it after adding green cardamom.
- When the water starts boiling add Gur/ Sugar to it and cover the pan with a lid.
- After five minutes mix the sugar/ gur using a ladle and cook for 10 minutes on low flame.
- The Syrup must not be thick. It will be runny yet sweet.
- Adjust the sweetness and water accordingly.
To make Rosh Bora:
- Lower the flame once the syrup is ready.
- Now add fried fritters to the hot syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes and switch the flame off.
- Cover the vessel with a lid and give at least one hour time to the Fritters to soak the syrup.
- Even after soaking, there should have sufficient syrup within the vessel.
- Serve the Rosh bora in room temperature or after heating a bit.
- While serving fill a bowl half full with the syrup and a few Bora.
Notes
- Either Sugar or Patali Gur (also known as Date Palm Jaggery) can be used in making the syrup.
- You can use 1:1 Sugar and gur as well.
- It is better to soak the Dal before making the paste.
- The Fritters must be light, fluffy, and crunchy.
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Bengali
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 175g
- Calories: 509
- Sugar: 62.9g
- Sodium: 75mg
- Fat: 23.7g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3g
- Carbohydrates: 73.9g
- Fiber: 5.8g
- Protein: 4.9g
- Cholesterol: 1mg
Keywords: rosh bora recipe, bengali pithe recipe, poush sankranti recipe, makar sankranti recipe, bengali dessert recipe, debjanir rannaghar
Dessert recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar:
- Chaler Payesh (also known as Bengali Rice Kheer)
- Choshir Payesh (also known as Chosi Payesh)
- Khejur Gurer Payesh (Also known as Bengali Rice Kheer with Date Palm Jaggery)
- Gujiya (Also known as Bengali ring-shaped sondesh)
- Nolen Gurer Sandesh (also known as Date Palm Fudge with cottage cheese)
- Gurer Narkel Naru (Also known as Bengali Narkel Naru/ Nariyal ki Laddu)
- Monohara (Also known as Monohara Sondesh)
- Baked Soan Papdi and Mishti Doi Cheesecake topped with Mini Gulab Jamun (Also known as Cheesecake prepared with Mishti Doi)
- Banoffee Panna Cotta with Cherry Compote (Also known as Banoffee Panna Cotta)
- Pancakes topped with Dulce de Leche and Fresh Fruits (Also known as Dulce de Leche Pancake)
- Double Chocolate Rum Balls (Also known as Rum Balls)
- Kesar Peda (Also known as Indian fudge prepared with Saffron and solidified milk)
- Gajar Ka Halwa (Also known as Gajar Halwa or Carrot Halwa)
- Hyderabadi Double ka Meetha (Also known as Double ka Meetha)
- Two in One Sondesh (Also known as Strawberry and vanilla flavored fudge)
- Lyangcha (Also known as Langcha)
- Chanar Jilapi (Also known as Bengali Chanar Jilipi)
- Karachi Halwa (Also known as Bombay Karachi Halwa)
- Taler Bora (Also known as Sugar Palm Fritters)
- Taler Bibikhana Pitha (Also known as Taler Pithe or Sugar Palm Cake)
- Chocolate Burfi (Also known as Indian chocolate fudge)
- Chhena Poda (Also known as Baked Chenna Poda)
- Patishapta (Also known as Bengali Patishapta Pitha)
Have you tried the Rosh Bora recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar?
Do let me know how it came out. Also, I would love to see a picture of the same which you can share here at dolonchttrj@gmail.com. Meanwhile, on Instagram, you can use my hashtag #debjanirrannaghar 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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