A Ramadan Recipe

Shahnaz Ahsan

Herby Lentil Fritters
Makes about 20 fritters

Ingredients
290g red lentils, washed several times and then soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours
1 medium white onion (190g), very finely diced small bunch fresh coriander, very finely chopped
2–3 green chillies, finely chopped
3–4 spring onions, very finely sliced (white and lower green parts)
Small bunch of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1–1 1⁄2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder
500ml sunflower oil for frying

Drain the soaked lentils and use your hands to squeeze out any excess water. Place the drained lentils into a large bowl and use a hand blender to break them down into a coarse, thick paste leaving about a quarter of the lentils whole for added texture. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well.
In a deep wok or frying pan, heat the oil to a medium-high temperature – the oil is ready when a drop of the batter rapidly rises to the top. Take tablespoons of the mixture and shape them into loose balls about 3cm wide. They don’t have to be perfectly round (and are better when they have uneven edges as they get crispier) but they should hold well together and should form a coherent ‘blob’ shape.
Deep-fry the bora in batches, for about 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally until dark golden on the outside, and cooked through in the middle. If the bora colour too quickly, turn down the heat. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt or raita.