Bengali roast chicken
Serve this spiced chicken in an aromatic masala for a starter at a family feast. Packed with flavour, it's a popular Bengali dish – one you're sure to cook time and time again
Nunor bora
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- plus freezing
- Easy
- Makes 70-80
Skip to ingredients
- 2 large or 4 small onionschopped
- 1 thumb-sized piece of gingerpeeled
- 1½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp panch puranground (optional)
- 300g rice flourplus extra for rolling
- 120g ground rice
- 3 tbsp chopped coriander(optional)
- vegetable oilfor frying
- ketchup or chilli sauceto serve (optional)
Nutrition: Per serving
- kcal39
- fat2g
- saturates0.1g
- carbs5g
- sugars0.4g
- fibre0.3g
- protein0.4g
- salt0.1g
Method
step 1
Bring 570ml water to the boil in a large saucepan. Blend the onion and ginger in a small food processor to form a paste, adding a splash of water if needed. Alternatively, finely grate the onion and ginger.
step 2
Add the onion and ginger to the boiling water along with 2 tsp salt, the turmeric and panch puran, if using. Simmer for 10 mins until the onions are translucent and cooked through.
step 3
Reduce the heat to low and add the rice flour, followed by the ground rice – they will be absorbed into the liquid immediately. Stir thoroughly to ensure there are no dry patches. Add the chopped coriander, if you like. Mix well, cover (ideally with a glass lid) and cook for a further 15-20 mins until aromatic and water droplets form on the lid. To check the dough is fully cooked, roll a little of it back and forth between your fingers, it should come together quite easily. If it feels too sticky, add some more rice flour to absorb the moisture; if it feels too dry, sprinkle a little water over and allow to steam for a few more minutes.
step 4
Take around a seventh of the mixture out of the pan and allow to cool slightly on a work surface dusted with a little rice flour. Knead the mixture with the base of your palm to form a dough. Keep kneading until you have several balls of dough.
step 5
Roll the dough out to a 3-4mm thickness, then cut out rounds using a fluted or round pastry cutter about 7cm wide, starting at the edge of the dough and working in. Decorate with a cookie stamper, if you like. Repeat with the remaining dough. The nunor bora can now be frozen – lay them on plastic chopping boards and freeze until hard, then transfer to freezer bags or containers and freeze completely. Defrost for 1-2 minutes before frying.
step 6
To cook the nuna bora, heat the oil in a large wok or deep saucepan. Fry in batches for 2 mins on each side, or until puffed up and crisp. Move to a plate lined with kitchen paper while you cook the rest. Serve with ketchup, chilli sauce or your favourite curry.
