Recipe- West Bengal Village Style Helencha Pakoda

It is a popular village style snack in West Bengal as well as Bangladesh. Though it is not so popular in cities. But most people living in rural areas love this snack. It is really very delicious & crispy. You may find slightly bitterness in taste which is enjoyable. This leafy vegetable can be easily noticeable near the water body in almost every village across the region. It is also locally known as hinche shak. This helencha shak pakoda or hinche shak bora or watercress fritter is not just a delicious snack but also an easy to make snack.

Ingredients

A handful of helencha stem cuttings

For batter preparation

½ cup besan, chickpea flour
2 teaspoons kalonji/kalo jeera/nigella seeds
3 green chillies, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder, haldi
Water as needed for making batter
Enough refined oil for deep frying

Method

- Take besan, kalonji, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder in a bowl and mix

- Now add water and mix properly to make a smooth batter that is not too think or too thick

- Now wash & clean helencha saag, cut stems of helencha into 3 inch size

- Take 2-3 pieces and dip into batter, coated properly

- Heat oil in a kadai and fry those batter-coated stems properly till turn into golden colour.