Kumro phuler bora (pumpkin blossom fritters)

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The kumro phuler bora (pumpkin blossom fritters) are a quintessential Bengali summertime recipe, that make for an amazing evening snack with chai or as a lovely side side with steamed rice and dal (lentil curry)

 

Pakodas or Indian fritters are an incredible snack idea. And when they are made with seasonal produce, they become even more special – that is exactly what my kumro phuler bora or pumpkin blossom fritters are. Pumpkin is called kumro, flowers are called phool and fritters are bora in Bengali. These pumpkin blossom fritters are a quintessential Bengali summertime recipe. While it is not easy to find the blossoms here, a friend of mine gave them to me. This summer, she grew butternut squash in her garden and these are blossoms from those plants. Since the butternut squash also belongs to the pumpkin family, their flowers also work perfectly for this recipe. The blossom fritters taste really delicious. Since the flowers are sweet to taste, when made as fritters they make for an amazing snack. In fact, they are a yummy side dish with steamed rice and dal.

So, when I made a yummy batch of these fritters, we enjoyed some with chai and some with rice and lentil curry. A piping hot cup of tea and these boras dunked in some kasundi, make for a delicious evening snack. And since it generally is always raining in this side of the world (even in the summer), these fritters were even more enjoyable. However, even if it isn’t raining and you can get hold of these summertime blooms, then you ought to try this recipe. Moreover, the kumro phuler bora (pumpkin blossom fritters) recipe is an extremely quick and easy one. Once you’ve cleaned the flowers, it is only a matter of 15 minutes and your fritters will be ready! How amazing does this sound? Therefore, while your chai is brewing your fritters will be ready!

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Cleaning the flowers

Before you begin with making these pakoras, it is crucial that you clean and wash the flowers well. You will need to hold the flowers from the bottom. Then, you will need to open them enough so as to be able remove the stigma from the inside. Thereafter, wash them under running water, gently, without damaging them. Pat them dry and then proceed with the easy fritters recipe. Besides removing the stigma, cleaning the kumro phool ensures that you get rid of any dirt and/or worms that it could have. It is also essential to completely dry the flowers (using a kitchen towel) so that you get crispy, crunchy pakoras. There is another secret to getting crunchy and fluffy fritters. And that is not by adding any baking soda to the pakora batter but adding a tablespoon of hot oil to it.

This is something that I generally do when making gram flour batter pakoras. And this small trick, that I have learnt from my thakurma (paternal grandmother), works like magic. You can see even in my kumro phool bora picture, here, as well. Now, coming to the gram flour batter, it is very minimally yet aptly spiced. This is so as to be able to taste and appreciate the pumpkin blossoms, themselves. Using a lot of spices is not going to give the actual taste of these gems – not something that is desirable. 🙂

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If you are lucky enough to catch a hold of these beautiful, yellow, pumpkin blossoms then I insist you give this Bengali recipe a try. It truly is one of a kind and absolutely delicious. And if you do happen to make and have these, I’d be thrilled to know your feedback. You could share your fritters pictures with me over on Instagram and/or drop a line or two of your feedback in the comments section below.

Eat hearty!