Nunor bora

Enjoy these moreish savoury rice flour snacks with curry or a chilli sauce. Nunor bora are a popular snack in Bangladesh and are often served for Eid

  • Prep:55 mins
    Cook:35 mins
    plus freezing
  • Easy

Nutrition per serving

  • kcal 39
  • fat 2g
  • saturates 0.1g
  • carbs 5g
  • sugars 0g
  • fibre 0.3g
  • protein 0.4g
  • salt 0.1g

Ingredients

  • 2 large or 4 small onions, chopped
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled
  • 1½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp panch puran, ground (optional)
  • 300g rice flour, plus extra for rolling
  • 120g ground rice
  • 3 tbsp chopped coriander (optional)
  • vegetable oil, for frying
  • ketchup or chilli sauce, to serve (optional)

Tip

PANCH PURAN
Panch puran (or panch phoron) is a South Asian whole spice blend, usually comprising brown mustard, cumin, fennel, fenugreek and nigella seeds. It adds a lovely aromatic flavour to the nunor bora, without being overpowering.

Method

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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.

  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.

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