Kumro Fali Bhaja | Crispy Fried Pumpkin Slices | Bengali Cuisine

Sometimes a simple telephonic conversation between my mother and me can leave a mark behind for the whole day. Somedays back I was talking to my Ma over phone and were discussing some very basic questions like :- Ma ki banacho? "What are you cooking Mom?" 

Ma: Ja gorom poreche kichu rich banate icche korchena. "It is so hot that we don't feel like having anything very rich." Tai just Mosurir Dal-bhaat ar Kumro Bhaja. "So have made Masoor Dal-Rice and crispy slices of Pumpkin."

Me: Bah !!! Amio khete chai ! "Wow!!! I too want to eat the same"

So immediately searched for pumpkin in my fridge and made the same menu. It felt great to think that we two are living in different cities still through same menu we are somehow connected.

Well these are very simple yet utter delicious sliced pumpkin fries. And guess what these can be had as a stand alone tea-time snacks well ! All it needs is little bit of Chat Masala on top and your super easy crunchy snack is ready. 

Ingredients:
10 Thinly sliced Pumpkin 
1/4 cup Gram flour (besan)
4 tbsp Cornflour
1/4 cup Rice flour
2 tsp Poppy seeds
Pinch of turmeric powder
Pinch of Baking soda
Small pinch of Kalo zeera / Nigella seeds
Salt to taste
Chilled water  
Refind oil for deep frying

Method:
Clean the pumpkin and cut into thin slices (the slimmer they are the crispy they will turn out). 

In a bowl mix cornflour, nigella seeds, gram flour, poppy seeds, soda, turmeric and salt. 

Add 1/4 chilled water ( I use ice cubes sometimes along with little water) and make homogeneous batter. Heat oil in a deep frying pan and dip one slice at a time in the gram flour batter.

 Deep fry for couple of minutes on low flame until light golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place the fried pumpkin slices on tissue paper to soak extra oil. Serve immediately with steamed rice-dal combination. I had saved 2 pieces of these for some hot rice and the oil in which it was fried along with a green chilli. 

Sending super easy fritters recipe to Kolkata Food Bloggers's Page where they are celebrating online event "Poila Boishakh with Veg Bengali Dishes".