Daler bori, also known as biulir daler bori, are lentil dumplings made from Urad Dal (black lentil) paste and dried in the sun. Bori is an integral part of traditional Bengali Cuisine. It's not just a delicious addition to dishes, but also a clever way to preserve lentils for longer periods.
Daler Boris are used in various Bengali dishes to add a crunchy texture. Many of our traditional dishes include bori, such as Shukto, Lau Bori Posto (Bottle gourd in poppy seed sauce), Danta bori r jhol (Drumstick curry), Bori die Macher jhal (Fish curry in mustard paste), and many others.
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About Daler Bori
In olden days, our grandmothers, mothers and aunts used to make various types of bori (lentil dumplings) at home. Different types of lentils were used to prepare these. However, mostly we use urad dal dumplings or kalai r dal r bori in curry. Nowadays it is easily available in the grocery shop. However, you can prepare bori very easily at home.
Apart from biuli daler bori, there are other varieties of bori such as masoor dal bori (red lentil dumpling), moong dal bori (yellow lentil dumpling), motor dal bori, mixed dal bori, masala bori (lentil dumpling with spices), etc.
Sometimes vegetables such as ash gourd, papaya, radish, etc. vegetables are grated and added in the dal paste to prepare sun-dried dumplings. Addition of vegetables like ash gourd increases the shelf life of the bori up to one year.
Goyna Bori, also known as Naksha Bori, is another distinct kind of Bori. This one-of-a-kind designer bori resembles Bengali jewelry, also known as goyna (ornament), hence the name. The elaborate decorations add a touch of creativity to the dish, making it a truly edible work of art.
Daler Bori Ingredients
Generally, lentil paste is the primary ingredient of daler bori. I have used kalai er dal (black lentil) for this dish.
How to Make Daler Bori
Learn the Daler Bori Recipe by following the step-by-step instructions given below.
Making of daler bori starts with soaking of lentils. Soak urad dal overnight or at least 4 hours.
Thoroughly clean the dal and drain the water. Later take the dal in a grinder to make a smooth paste. Check the consistency of the paste. It should not be runny or extremely thick.
Take out the paste and beat it thoroughly until light and fluffy. To see if the paste is done, take a bowl of water and add a drop of lentil paste; if it floats, it is ready; otherwise, it needs to be beaten for a little longer.
Place a clean, thin cotton cloth (preferably white in color otherwise color might bleed from the cloth) in a sunny airy location.
Now, using your fingers, place each drop of paste in a row or column. Allow it to dry in the sunlight. If it does not dry in one day, expose it to sunlight again the next day.
Once dried, they will come out of the cloth, or you can turn each bori and let it dry on the reverse side. Once dried, store the boris in an airtight container.
Note: If you are planning to add ash gourd or winter melon, then peel it, remove the seeds and grate it. Later wash it thoroughly for several times and later drain the water completely before adding it to the lentil paste.
Storage
After properly drying under the sunlight, store the boris in an airtight container and it remains good for almost six to eight months.
Every three months, you can spread the bori outside in the sun to avoid worms because we keep them at room temperature.
Tips
- Try to prepare bori in summer or winter season when you get proper sunlight. If they are not dried properly, fungus contamination might happen.
- Avoid adding too much water while grinding the lentil, as the consistency of the paste should not be runny otherwise boris will not appear as drops it will look like flat.
Usage
In Bengali cuisine, boris are added to dls, curries, and stir fried to enhance the flavor and texture. Sometimes it is ground into powder and added as a thickener for soups and stews. Masoor dal bori is deep-fried and serve as a appetizer in a Bengali meal.
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Daler Bori
Materials
- 250 gms Urad Dal
Instructions
- Soak urad dal overnight or minimum 4 hours.
- Now clean dal and make a smooth paste in a grinder. Take out the paste and beat well.
- Check the consistency of the paste. It should not be either watery or very thick.
- Take a clean, thin cotton cloth (I used an old cotton saree) and place it on a sunny bright place.
- Now place each drop paste on it using fingers maintaining a row or column. Allow it to dry on sunlight.
- If it is not dried in one day, next day again keep it on sunlight.
- Once they are dried, will come out from the cloth or you can turn each bori and allow to dry the back side.
- Keep the boris in an airtight container after drying.
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CURRY AND SPICE
This is precious indeed....
Unknown
Never heard about this....... Interesting recipe!!
Unknown
First time hearing about it .kind of vathal(papad) with urad dal .u will fry them n include then in curries ?
Nava K
Something new to me but I love how dhal is so good to be made into bori.