ROSHBORA

It is during festive period, we prepare series of sweets, in fact, our festivals go throughout the year; between September and January there are Navratri, Durga Puja, Dussehra, Kojagori Lokkhi Pujo, Diwali, Kali Pooja, Bhai Phota, Poush Sankranti, Saraswati Pujo. Festivals are auspicious, brings blessings & joy! We celebrate, decorate with light, food; from starter to dessert.

To be precise, Roshbora / Urad Dal / de-husked black gram lentil dumplings in sugar syrup was / is precisely made in months of December, January; as part of Poush Sankranti ritual! It actually falls in "pithe" category, you may call it dessert / sweet! In our family, it's made in winters! We either use sugar syrup or date palm jaggery syrup!

India having many states, our neighbours too, we are never in dearth of varied recipes. We are saved from boredom of repeat having the same food. With guests visiting, starting from Dussehra until Diwali.... we would prepare a variety of sweet meats using Cottage Cheese, Lentils, Refined & Wheat Flour, Semolina, Rice Flour, Gram Flour, Sugar, Jaggery, Milk, Coconut. These few things can yield mouthwatering sweets, desserts. 

Trust me, pick your choice of ingredients, cook what you wish! This sweet meat, Roshbora uses only skinless black gram lentils, fennel seeds, little of baking powder, salt, sugar!

I love Roshbora, a favourite comic character of my childhood loved this... 'Batul...The Great of Nonte-Fonte fame. Bengali youngsters from 70s-80's can easily identify with these characters. We have grown up reading Batul, Teni da, Ghana da. They were written specially for tweens & teens ..... 

For this particular sweet / dessert called Roshbora, we would be using skinless Urad Dal / black gram lentils, sugar, water, pinch of baking powder, fennel seeds. Cannot believe right? Then I would request you to cook with me.

INGREDIENTS :

Urad Dal[skinless black gram dal] : 250 gm
Sugar : 150 gm
Fennel Seeds : 1 tsp
Green Cardamom : 3-4

Baking Powder : A pinch
Oil : 100 ml [for deep frying, the extra can be used later]

METHOD :

Wash, soak dal overnight. Take in blender, get smooth paste adding little water. Be careful about using water for paste because if you use bit more water, it would get difficult to shape, fry.

After paste is made, transfer to bowl, add salt, beat for about 10-12 minutes! Check adding little of batter in bowl with water, if it floats, it's ready! Add fennel seeds; beat well. Keep covered for 15-20 minutes!

In deep bottomed vessel, add enough water, sugar, green cardamoms! Bring to boil at low heat! In this recipe, sugar syrup cannot get sticky, it needs to remain watery! Just switch off gas stove, once it has boiled for 5-6 minutes!

 Add baking powder to lentil paste, beat well! Heat oil in pan, add gently small portions to oil! Fry balls in batches until golden brown, take out, drop in bowl full of hot water. 

Thereafter, take them out, squeeze gently, add to hot sugar syrup! Keep for rest an hour. Enjoy warm or chilled.