Bengali Fritters - Tele Bhaja

Beguni

Published: Barnali Dutta on 12/16/2013



Tele bhaja - a fried preparation rolled in batter. It is a bengali fast food. Best matched when served with puffed rice or muri with some black salt sprinkled on the top. It was described as "paat bhaja" in old days meaning "battered and fried - part by part". Some other names are chop, fuluri, singara, kabiraji etc.

Do not add salt to the vegetables before frying, make your batter according to your taste with gram flour, salt, turmeric, chili powder, water, and sprinkle sugar to balance the taste, add a pinch of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and leave for 5 to 10 minutes to activate the batter. It should not be too thick or thin. Beat the batter vigorously.

For deep frying for a Bengali fritters – you will need to maintain a temperature neither at the smoking point nor at a simmer to achieve a grease-free chop or fritter and also to allow the inside to cook properly.

Batter the vegetables in a way so that it will quickly form a protective shield. When you put the battered veggies inside the properly heated oil, the battered veggies first will sink into the oil then get puffed up and the items will slowly rise to the top. It will slowly turn golden in color.

Ingredients

  • Aubergine, gram flour batter, and cooking oil.

Instructions

  • Cut the brinjal in 1 inch thick slices in an oval shape, put into the batter and fry them until slightly soft when their edges just start to get brown remove from the oil, drain on a paper towel, and put some rock salt and chat masala, serve hot.

Yield: 2 | Prep Time: 00:10 | Cook time: 00:10 | Total time: 00:20