Bijora, Sesame Nugget Texture Bombs from MP

A forgotten recipe from Madhya Pradesh, Bijora features sesame and pumpkin seeds, a nutrition bomb that adds heaps of texture to everyday meals. 

Beej or seeds are the neglected middle child of the health food world. For eons, fruits and vegetable juices have been hogging the limelight. Seeds are mostly discarded and do not get the recognition they deserve, given the punch they pack. Apart from being propagators, their nutritional benefits go almost unrecognised, barring a few guest appearances in trendy smoothies and seeded breads. But our grandmothers knew better — they knew the importance of the seed, and included them in as many dishes as they could, and did not limit them to merely tadkas and toppings.

My father comes from in a small village in Madhya Pradesh, and I grew up eating one such delicacy, predominantly featuring sesame seeds as the hero ingredient, along with the seeds of white pumpkin, aptly giving it the name Bijora, Beej-jora.  It is a sesame nugget, which is sun dried, to be fried and consumed year-round, as an accompaniment to the meal. It is a delicacy from the Bundelkhand belt of MP and is indelibly etched in the region’s culinary code. Those of us who still eat it, are a micro-tribe, now scattered all over the world. Very rarely do I come across people who have heard of Bijoras and when we do, we feel an intimate bonding over our shared culinary experience. Bijora is crunchy, nutty, savoury, almost pops in the mouth on first bite. Contrary to other sesame options, like laddoos, this is not sweet, which is what makes it so unique. Just one Bijora gives you your daily dose of Vitamin B and Calcium, for each contains more than 2 tbsp of sesame apart in addition to pumpkin seeds.

As a child, I vividly remember my mother and paternal aunts meticulously planning the days leading up to Bijora-making. From sourcing the freshest sesame seeds or til, to buying the fleshiest white pumpkin, or kumhadha, as it is called in MP, everything was discussed and decided much in advance. Of course, needless to say, sunlight was the main ingredient, without which deep sun-drying would be impossible. In Delhi, April to June were considered the best months to make Bijora, for the sun was at its fiercest. Dadi would say that Bijora made in these months are dry from the inside, and don’t catch worms easily. Of course, there was serious protocol on after-care as well.  Storing them in a dry place and frequently moving them about was a important (a little TLC to keep away the worms).

On D-Day (or B-day), the women folk and my father (yes, all the men in my family were superb cooks) would wake up in the wee hours of the morning and start the festivities. Making Bijora was like a festival in our house — a sacred time, whose yield (prasad, even) we could eat year-round.  Sesame would be washed in water till it ran clear, kumhada grated and the juice squeezed out and its seeds separated and skinned. Pre-soaked urad daal would be ground to paste and whipped to be made super airy and light. This was the key part of the process. In those days, there were no fancy gadgets to do this tedious bit, so everyone took turns whipping by hand. Even the kids got a turn. Then went in all the spices, powdered and whole, along with fresh coriander leaves and green chillies. The final step was patting into 3” diameter disks, and ½” thick, (a thick bangle would be used as mould) and laid out equidistant on an old saree to dry. On the first night it was left out on the terrace to soak in dew drops, which played an integral part in its flavour. The Bijoras were sundried and turned over 2-3 times over the next 4-5 days. They were then deep fried on high heat and eaten with Arhar Daal-Chawal (split pigeon peas and rice), our family’s favourite meal. If I close my eyes, I can taste the flavour, hear the entire process like it was happening right in front of me.

I still make bijora at home and religiously eat one at every meals featuring daal-chawal. Now, I air-fry them, but when I want to wow my guests it is deep-fried in the wok. Sometimes, I crush it and use it as a topping on Oriental salads or fried rice to introduce my friends to its charms.  One bite is more than enough to get anyone hooked on its smoky, nutty, dense yet crunchy demeanour. Then I progress to serving it as an appetizer, and there is no turning back from there. There isn’t a single guest who hasn’t been falled in love Bijora once they’ve tasted it.

Nutritionally, Bijora is full of protein from the sesame and the pumpkin seeds. The seeds, along with protein in the urad daal, help lower the body’s glycaemic index, thus keeping one full for longer. That essentially is the job of all papads actually, apart from adding texture to the meal.  The spices not only add flavour but also are great for the gut. All-in-all, it is a super food, if you ask me, now only if our grandmothers had branded it as a Protein Bar, it would not have needed to be a revived recipe today.

RECIPE FOR BIJORA TIL PAPAD

Ingredients
3 cup urad daal whole, hulled 
3 cup sesame seeds
500 g white pumpkin
100 gm white pumpkin seeds
1 tsp kabuli hing
2 tbsp red chilli
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp grated ginger
2 tbsp green chilli
3 tbsp green coriander leaves
1/2 tsp baking soda (optional)
Salt, as required
Also required: old thin sheet, saree or well-oiled plastic sheet and an old thick bangle.

Method
Pre-soak urad daal overnight. Wash well & dry.
Grind to smooth paste and whip well, till light and airy.
Grate white pumpkin flesh, from the thick side of the grater.
Hang the grated pumpkin in a thin muslin cloth for 1 hour till all the water is drained and squeezed out the rest.
Clean the pumpkin seeds.
Wash and drain the sesame seeds.
Mix urad daal paste along with rest of the ingredients.
Make round balls with your hands of the dough. Use a bit of water so it doesn’t stick to the hand.
Flatten the dough to 3” diameter and ½” thickness, can use bangle as a mould.
Transfer carefully to the plastic sheet, in the sun.
Dry in the sun for 4-5 days, flipping sides 2-3 times, till its completely dry.
Move it indoors at night, after the first night. 

Method to fry the Bijora
Method 1
Deep fry in kadhai half full of oil, or even one by one in the tadka pan.
Oil should be medium hot on high flame.
Drop Bijora in the oil and fry on one side till almost golden brown.
Flip side and fry a little more
Serve when golden.

Method 2
Pre-heat air fryer at 170 deg for 7 minutes
Brush Bijora with oil on both sides
Air-fry 7-8 Bijoras for 7-10 minutes, slipping them once
These can be stored in an airtight box for a few days.

Vasundhara Jhunjhunwala, revives heirloom recipe via her food brand, Old Fashioned Gourmet. www.oldfashionedgourmet.com