If you are not a Bengali then you may be unaware about this sojne phool bati chorchori. But what is sojne phool? This may come in your mind once you have heard about this dish. Is it not true? Sojne phool is nothing but those tiny drumstick flower what we often see during late winter in India. Though drumstick fruit is very popular vegetable in India, particularly in West Bengal. It is also popular in neighboring country Bangladesh too. But many people of this country (particularly in West Bengal) also use drumstick flower as a vegetable during late summer.
Drumstick flower (sojne phool) is a very small & white colored flower. Though at all people know how to cook sojne phool (drumstick flower) but still there are many people in this country follow various recipe to cook those tiny flower and make super healthy & tasty dishes. Many people in this eatern part of India simply fry (or saute) with just one or two spices to make sojne phool bhaja. But I personally do not prefer this simple sojne phool bhaja. Rather like many people, I like drumstick flower curry (sojne phool bati chorchori). Did you ever try this? It is not just a delicious vegetarian dish but also a tasty dish with a lot medicinal values.
How to cook drumstick flower (sojne phool)?
Now here comes to the sojne phool bati chorchori recipe. I think there are very few flowers what Indian (except Bengali people) actually use to make dishes. Only Bengali people use a lot of types of flowers to make various flitters/fries like pumpkin flower, bok phool, sojne phool etc.
This drumstick flower curry is very delicious and easy to cook. You just need to follow a few steps to make this wonderful dish. This method is traditionally used in this region by people. I have also seen my mother to follow this recipe to make this special sojne phool bati chorchori. You just need a few easily available ingredients.
Ingredients to make drumstick curry:
- 1 medium size bowl of drumstick flowers; 1 medium size potato; 2.5 teaspoons of poppy seeds paste; 2.5 teaspoons of mustard seeds paste; 1 teaspoon of cumin powder; 1 teaspoon of coriander powder; 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric powder; 1 teaspoon of red chili powder; salt as needed; 1 tablespoon water; oil as needed
Instructions to make drumstick flower curry:
- Heat oil in a cooking pan then add small pieces of potatoes and saute for 2 minutes
- Now add salt, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder, stir it for next 30 seconds
- Then add poppy seeds paste and mustard seeds paste and also add little water and cook for next 2-3 minutes
- Finally add drumstick flowers (properly cleaned and washed under running water) and more water if needed, stir and then cover the cooking pot with lid and cook over low flame for next 2-3 minutes
- Then open its lid and stir continuously for next 1 minutes and cook over low flame; that’s it
Drumstick flower (sojne phool) health benefits
Drumstick plant’s fruit is very popular vegetable in this region. It is used in various traditional Bengali dishes. It has various nutritious and medicinal values. But not just its fruit has medicinal value but also its leaves, roots, skin & flower have many many nutritious values. Traditionally people used to use those various parts of drumstick plant for many medicinal purposes too. In Ayurveda, it is said that drumstick plant is a source of various beneficial items for our health which can be used to cure various diseases too.
Modern sciences also say about its nutritious & medicinal values. Nowadays due to various television shows and health related popular magazines, people have come to know that modern scientists also believe drumstick plant has such potential.
It is also said that drumstick flowers are good for our healthy bones. It can also help us to get healthy & beautiful skin, purify our blood. Drumstick flowers can play an important role to improve our digestion power & reduce extra weights. Those tiny white colored flower also has anti bacterial property.
Also read: Kacha posto bata – traditional Bengali dish, Paneer rezala curry, Delicious Bengali style sorse potol
Where to buy drumstick flowers (sojne phool)?
So do you want to buy drumstick flowers? Is this what you want?
But where can i buy drumstick flowers?
Can I buy sojne phool (drumstick flowers) from the market?
I think you are actually thinking the same. Is this not true? Actually drumsticks flowers are available in the local market for 6-8 weeks during February & March. If you are buying from the local vegetable market then you will get fresh flowers. Those fresh sojne phool are best to make sojne phool bati chorchori. But everybody is not so lucky because those tiny drumstick flowers are not available many markets. Only one or two vegetable sellers will sell this flowers in any market.
But in case you are not getting fresh sojne phool from the local market then you can buy dried organic drumstick flowers from all major online stores in India.
Where can I find moringa (drumstick plant) leaves, flower, root, fruits, seeds?
Moringa (Moringa oleifera) means drumstick tree. So where can you find moringa leaves, flower, root, fruits or seeds? You can not buy all those from any market. Moringa fruits and flowers are most common and widely used parts of moringa tree. But leaves, roots are not generally available at any shop. Hardly any vegetable seller sells all those parts (leaves, flower, root, fruits, seeds) of moringa tree. So best way to have moringa leaves, flower, root, fruits, seeds etc is grow a drumstick/moringa plant in your backyard garden. I also have on 20 years tree in front of my home. It produces a lot of drumstick fruits in every season.
Sojne phool bati chorchori (Drumstick flower curry) recipe
- 1 medium size bowl of drumstick flowers
- 1 medium size potato, cut into small pieces
- 2.5 teaspoons of poppy seeds paste
- 2.5 teaspoons of mustard seeds paste
- 1 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
- 1.5 teaspoons of turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon of red chili powder
- Salt as needed
- 1 tablespoon water (or more if needed)
- Refined oil as needed
- Heat refined oil in a cooking/frying pan
- Then add small pieces of potatoes and saute for 2 minutes
- Now add salt & all spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder) and stir it for next 30 seconds
- Then add poppy seeds and mustard seeds paste and also add little water and cook for next 2-3 minutes, stir it frequently
- Finally add drumstick flowers/sojne phool (cleaned and washed) and more water if drumstick flower curry becomes too thick, stir continuously
- Then cover the cooking/frying pot with lid and cook over low flame for next 2-3 minutes
- Now open its lid and stir continuously for next 1 minutes and cook over low flame
- Serve this with plain rice
This sojne phool recipe is simply awesome. Though there are many other recipes across the region but I found this sojne phool recipe is the best one. Do you know any other drumstick flower recipe? How was it? If you have tried this sojne phool bati chorchori then do not forget to share your experience by leaving a comment below.
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