Shiuli Patar Pakoda

Shiuli Patar Pakoda

Shiuli is known also as Harsingar, parijat and Night Jasmine. It is a sacred tree mentioned in our mythological stories. It is said to be one of the five trees that exist in heaven. And I will never dispute that. 

It starts flowering in the month of September and ceases by November. Its smell is indeed heavenly and that smell has a special connotation for Bengalis. 

It heralds the approach of Durga Puja. It indicates that special time of the year that every Bengali awaits. I consider one of the few lucky ones who has a Shiuli tree in a concrete jungle like Delhi. One of my happy memories is getting up in the morning and giving the tree a vigorous shake and watch the flowers tumble down.

Apart from its intoxicating fragrance the Shiuli tree is also known for its medicinal value. Its leaves are used for treating chronic fever, rheumatism, arthritis, joint pain etc. having it on a daily basis also helps keep these ailments at bay. However the leaves are rough and bitter. So chewing them raw is not a popular option. So the best way to have them is by making pakodas. And they taste amazing with hot steaming rice.

Ingredients

10 Shiuli Leaves

1 cup besan

½ cup rice flour

1 tsp Nigella seeds

1 tsp khus khus

Salt to taste

1 tsp turmeric powder

Wash the leaves well. 

Make a besan of everything except the leaves. Heat some oil. Dip the leaves in the batter so that they are well coated. Deep fry.