Khoi-er Bora is a crunchy Bengali Fritter prepared with Khoi (Popped Rice), and selected spices. This Bengali-style Pakoda recipe is vegetarian and Vegan. This not-so-popular Bengali snack is extremely flavorful and can make your evening Chai a treat!
In this post, I am sharing how to make traditional Bengali Khoi-er Bora and I have shared the video as well. I hope it will help you to make this traditional Bengali delicacy at home very easily.
Jump to:
Watch how to make Khoi-er Bora
Khoi-er Bora – a Durga Puja Special Recipe
In the last few days, several media houses contacted me to share pujo special recipes with them, especially easy-to-make snacks. While I shared a few recipes with different online journals which I have already written here, I found that I can share a few more vegetarian and vegan recipes as well. Then I remembered I captured the video of making Khoi-er Bora on last year’s Osthomi but didn’t edit it to share further on my YouTube channel – Debjanir Rannaghar. Naturally, I clicked the pictures as well with the videos. With all the basic requirements available to come up with a recipe post, I thought why not share the recipe of this traditional Bengali Fritter prepared with Khoi?
Khoi-er Bawra is not as much as popular as Beguni or Aloor Chop or for that matter Fuluri. The reason is that they do not sell it in Chop-er Dokan. This is an old-school, homely snack mostly prepared by the grannies years back. The recipe is easy but not popular I suppose. These days though, I have seen making Khoi-er Bora in different Bangali Pop-ups by the home chefs including myself.
Khoier bora – a vegan Bengali delicacy
The recipe of this Bengali Vegetarian and Vegan Khoi Pakoda that I am sharing is not a family heirloom! You will find ample recipes (I suppose!) of this easy bora and it is your choice which one to follow to make perfect crunchy Khoi-er Bora at home. The recipe I’m providing is from my grandmother, the late Priti Mukherjee. Dida used to make it every Pujo and now I follow the tradition. I make Khoi-er Bora as a snack at least one day during the Durga Puja. This recipe works for me, it gives me the perfect texture and flavor and I follow this recipe (and many of Dida’s recipes) to the T. This is a Vegan recipe by the way!
How to make this recipe of Bengali Popped Rice Fritter aka Pakoda
Time needed: 30 minutes
Check the Video given above or the recipe card below for the detailed steps.
- Make the Filling
The filling for Khoi er Bor calls for Khoi (also known as Poppod Rice). You can find Khoi in any grocery shop or online in India. However, for those outside India, a visit to the shops that keep Bengali ingredients may help to source Khoi. In addition, you need freshly grated Coconut. I do not recommend using dry coconut or coconut powder for this recipe. Coconut not only gives flavor but also moisture to the fritter. Apart from that you have to add Fennel seed, juice from ginger paste, chopped green chilies, and salt to the filling. In addition, I use Rice flour for extra crunchiness. All these ingredients are mixed with water to make a tight dough.
- Deep-frying is a must
I have never tried an air fryer to make Khoi-er Bora. Due to the texture, deep-frying seems to be the only option. I have found that mustard oil does not work well for deep-frying these fritters, so I use refined oil. All you need to do is heat the oil and fry the Pakodas.
Khoi-er Bora | Bengali Popped Rice Fritter Pakoda
Khoi-er Bora is a crunchy and savory fritter prepared with Khoi, also known as Popped Rice, and is a signature vegetarian and vegan Bengali Snack.
Equipment
-
1 Wok
-
1 Perforated Ladle
-
1 Bowl
-
1 Whisk
-
1 Spoon
-
1 Coconut Scrapper
Ingredients
- 150 g Khoi Popped Rice
- 5 Green Chillies
- 2 Tbsp. Ginger Paste
- 1 Tsp. Fennel Seed Mouri
- 1 Tsp. Salt
- 2 Tbsp. Rice Flour
- 200 ml Water
- 150 ml Vegetable Oil for deep-frying
Instructions
-
Take 150g of Khoi in a bowl.
-
Now add 2 cups of water and mix Khoi and water, then knead the Khoi to make a tight dough.
-
Next, add 2 tablespoons of rice flour, which can help make the Khoi Fritters crispy, but this step can be skipped.
-
Add 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, also known as Mouri.
-
Now add the juice from 2 tablespoons of ginger paste.
-
Chop 4-5 green chilies and add them to the mixture.
-
Now add 1 Tsp. Salt.
-
Then, add 1 cup of grated coconut, also called Narkel bata/ Narkel Kora.
-
Knead the mixture again to make a firm dough that can be used to form small balls for the fritters.
-
Lightly mix in a few more pieces of Khoi to add extra crunch to the fritters.
-
Form the mixture into small balls.
-
Now heat sufficient vegetable oil in a pan to deep-fry the Pakoda.
-
Fry Khoi-er Bora in hot vegetable oil over medium heat until they turn light brown.
-
It will take one minute to fry per batch.
-
The first few fritters may not come out perfectly, but once the pan is seasoned, you’ll be able to fry the fritters easily.
-
Serve the delicious Khoi er bora hot.
Video
Notes
- You can increase or decrease the number of green chilies.
- Though dedicated coconut can replace fresh coconut, however, it will not give the same flavor and texture.
- Instead of Fennel Seed, you can use Ajwain as well.
Nutrition
Serving: 20g | Calories: 75kcal | Carbohydrates: 3.7g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 7.3g | Saturated Fat: 1.4g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 100mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0g
Frequently Asked Questions about Khoi-er Bora
No! Yes! I was not able to use an air-fryer to make perfect Khoi-er Bora. You can try it though and let me know the outcome.
Refined Oil for sure. Mustard Oil is not a good option for this recipe.
No. Both Khoi and Muri are Rice byproducts but are different in flavor, and texture. While muri is puffed rice, a bit hard, Khoi is popped rice, light and fluffy like popcorn.
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Bengali Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes
These are my favorite dishes to serve with [this recipe]:
Durga Puja Special Recipes from Debjanir Rannaghar
Here’s the Khoi-er Chop recipe pin for your Pinterest board!
Have you tried the Bengali Khoi-er Bora recipe from Debjanir Rannaghar!
Please inform me of your experience and feel free to send a photo to [email protected]. Additionally, you can find me on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, Google News, and Thread. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #debjanirrannaghar when sharing your attempts at my recipes or if you have any questions or recipe requests.
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.
Learn more about me →