Ash Gourd (Petha/ winter melon ) stuffed Pakoda/ Fritters (Pur Bhora Chal Kumror Bora Tel bhaja)

• Serving: 3-4
• Soaking time: 30 minutes.
• Peeling time: 2-3 minutes.
• Blanching time: 4-5 minutes.
• Making  stuffing paste time: 2 minutes.
• Cooking stuffing time: 2-3 minutes.
• Prepare batter time: 2 minutes.
• Deep frying time: 3-4 minutes. (each batch)
• Total time: 19-20 minutes.

I first tasted this unique “Ash Gourd Stuffed Pakoda” at one of my friend’s home in Mumbai, where it was served as part of a traditional Bengali lunch.

The moment I took the first bite, the crispy outer layer of the fritter gave a spicy, well-seasoned core that instantly won my heart.

I was delighted by the bold and pungent aroma of the mustard stuffing; a flavour that lingered delightfully on the palate.

The fiery punch of mustard seeds and green chilies, combined with the tender sweetness of ash gourd, created a contrast.

It was a dish that not only satisfied the taste buds but also left behind a memory soaked in culture, warmth, and culinary brilliance.

Inspired by that experience, I recreated the dish at home, but with my own twist…

I stuffed it with Posto Bata (poppy seed, mustard seed and fresh coconut paste). The creamy filling balanced the spice and depth of flavour, making each bite a celebration of Bengali culinary with a personal touch.

Ash Gourd, known as Chal Kumro in Bengali and Petha in Hindi, is often known for its cooling properties.

In Bengal, Bora Tel Bhaja refers to deep-fried fritters, and when stuffed (Pur Bhora), they become a delightful surprise in every bite.

These fritters are not only perfect as an evening snack with a cup of tea but also make a festive side dish in traditional meals.

The mildly sweet and tender ash gourd contrasts beautifully with the spicy stuffing, making it a dish that balances taste, texture, and aroma.

Ingredients:

• Ash Gourd (Petha/ White Pumpkin): 500 gm.
• Salt: 1 teaspoon (as per your taste).
• Black Mustard: 1/2 teaspoon
• Yellow Mustard: 1 teaspoon
• Poppy Seed: 1 teaspoon
• Fresh Grated Coconut: 2 tablespoon
• Green Chilli: 1-2 no.
• Besan: 3 tablespoon
• Rice Flour: 1 tablespoon
• Ajwain (Carom Seed): 2 pinch
• Kalonji (Nigella Seed): 1 pinch
• Turmeric Powder: 1 pinch
• Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon.
• Mustard Oil: for deep frying

Preparation:

1. Soak black mustard, yellow mustard, poppy seed  for minimum 30 minutes.
2. Peel off and chop ash gourd in 1” thick slices as shown in photo.
3. Boil water; blanch the pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt for 3-4 minutes on low flame.
4. Take out the pieces; strain and cool down, keep aside.
5. In the mean time make paste of soaked ingredients along with grated coconut, green chilli and 2 pinch of salt, keep aside.

For making stuffing;

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of mustard oil, add kalonji, sputter for few seconds. add prepared paste; cook and stir fry on medium flame for couple of minutes or until it is dry as dough, stuffing is ready. Cool it down, keep aside.
2. Prepare a thick batter of besan, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, ajwain, lemon juice and1 tablespoon of hot oil and water as per requirment, keep aside.

Method:

1. Stuff the blanched ash gourd with stuffing as shown in photo, keep aside.
2. Take heavy bottom fry pan, put oil  for deep frying in the fry pan, and Let oil to smoke.
3. Drop small size batter in it. (Either helps of your hand or spoon)
4. If batter comes up, it means right temperature of oil otherwise wait for a while and test again.
5. After getting right temperature of oil, coat the stuffed ash gourd slices with batter and deep fry in hot oil on medium flame for2-3 minutes or until  golden colour appears…
6. Repeat this till all finished.
7. Serve Piping hot with steamed Rice, Dal and Salad…
8. “Ash Gourd (Petha ) stuffed Pakoda Fritters (Pur Bhora Chal Kumror Bora Tel bhaja)” good for evening snacks too.
9. Serve piping hot with Green Chutney and Sesame Seed Chutney.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Ash Gourd (Petha/ winter melon ) stuffed Pakoda/ Fritters (Pur Bhora Chal Kumror Bora Tel bhaja) by Nag Ratna Sahu is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.