Beguni / Bengali Eggplant Fritters

Frankly...I never liked beguni. I was always more of “alur chop” (potato fritters) person. So ma always bought samosa / singara or alur chop for me, along with beguni for the rest of the family. But yes...I have to accept...on a rainy day with a plate of hot runny khichuri its the beguni that matches perfectly and in the evening the same component becomes addictively tasty with a cup of milky tea.

So...yes...I have come to have a love hate relationship with beguni and I am really happy with that. My husband on the other hand loves Beguni. More than singara or any other fritters...beguni is the one which had stolen his heart away in his teenage life. His idea of a perfect evening snack is some hot...just out of the kadai beguni / eggplant fritters with some puffed rice and a nice green chilli in a “thonga” or paper bag!!! Well...I can hardly protest!!!

Beguni / Bengali Eggplant Fritters

Makes around 12-15 fritters

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant / 6-7 baby eggplants

2 cups of besan / gram flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ tsp rice powder

Salt

Oil to deep fry

Method:

If you are using a large eggplant then thinly slice it in round shape (around 0.2 inches thick) and keep all the slices in a bowl. If you are using baby eggplants then first chop off its stem and then thinly slice the eggplant lengthwise. You might have to discard the round edges of the eggplants. Sprinkle some salt over the eggplant slices and let it sit for around 10-12 minutes.

In a bowl take all the gram flour and add enough water to create a thick paste. Mix well so that no lumps remain there.

Then add salt and turmeric powder and start to whip the gram flour mixture with hand or a wire whisk until you have a thick whipped cream like consistency and when poured from above the mixture falls in a thick string. This might take around 5-7 minutes.

Once done add the rice powder and baking soda and mix them well.

Take a kadai / saucepan and fill half of it with oil. Put the flame on medium and heat the oil enough to fry the fritters.

When the oil is hot enough put the flame on low.

Take one slice and dip that into the gram flour mixture.

Shake off the excess and gently drop it in the oil.

Fry until the outside is golden brown and crisp. (Always keep the flame on low, because if the oil is too hot then the eggplant will not cook properly and the inside may remain raw.)

Follow the same process with all the slices. If you have enough place in your saucepan then fry the fritters in small batches, but never overcrowd the place.

Serve hot with muri / puffed rice or khichuri or just eat “beguni” on its own with a hot cup of tea.