Crispy fried rice fritters made from soaked rice batter with banana flower and ngari — a popular street snack sold by women vendors throughout Manipur.
Ingredients
1 cup raw rice — soaked 3 hours and drained
1/4 cup banana flower inner florets — very finely chopped
1 piece ngari — roasted and pounded
2 green chillies — very finely chopped
2 tbsp maroi or spring onion — finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
Method
Drain the soaked rice. Grind in a blender with just 2 to 3 tbsp water to a coarse, thick batter.
Roast ngari piece 2 minutes. Pound to a paste.
Mix the ground rice batter with pounded ngari, very finely chopped banana flower florets, finely chopped green chillies, maroi or spring onion and turmeric.
Taste before adding salt — ngari provides saltiness.
The batter should be quite thick — when dropped from a spoon it should hold its shape briefly before spreading.
If too thin add 1 tbsp rice flour.
Heat oil for deep frying on medium.
Drop heaped spoonfuls of batter into the oil — they will form rough fritters about 5 to 6 cm wide.
Fry 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and crispy.