Bora Saul by Sharmin

    

 This article first appeared in Kavita's Blog on Sunday, June 26, 2011
Thank you Kavita for featuring me as a guest writer in your lovely blog,
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johabora saul/sticky rice grains

Bora Saul, a variety of sticky rice found in Assam, plays such an important role in Assamese culture that it is not surprising to find many festivals and traditions revolve around this particular rice. Bora rice is believed to have been introduced to Assam by the Ahoms. During the Ahom reign in Assam, a sticky rice mortar was made by adding Egg and Black Lentils to mortar materials. The resulting material was used in Ranghar, a double-storied pavilion located in Sibsagar, Assam and many other structures. The grains can still be found in its original form even after hundreds of years of its construction.

Types

There are over forty types of sticky or glutinous rice in Assam. They are classified into three groups, Bora  Birain and Chokuwa, based on their Amylose and Amylopectin content, starches responsible for their sticky quality. 
This group of rice is called glutinous in the sense of being glue-like or sticky and not in the sense of containing gluten. They range from Black, Red to White. Popular varieties of Bora are, Bogabora, Johabora, Rangabora, Kolabora and Rupahibora.

kola bora saulor pitha/rice cakes made of black sticky rice

Uses :No Assamese festival is complete without snacks made from Bora Saul. The rice is ground to make rice flour.This flour is then made into snack items called Pitha , which are an integral part of the festival called Bihu .Snacks such as Hurum, a type of puffed rice ,Cheera a type of beaten flat rice and Mah Korai ,a combination of black lentils ,sticky rice grains,sesame seeds and nuts made fropm Bora Saul ,Sunga Saul ,anothetr Assamese favorite ,are all an inevitable part of Assamese festivals.

bora saul /sticky rice with jaggery and cream

Sticky Rice is also served as dessert, where cooked sticky rice is combined with sugar or jaggery and curd made from buffalo milk. In certain parts of Assam it is eaten for breakfast with sugar and curds or mustard oil and salt.

It is also used for preparation of indigenous rice beer. The thick, milky alcohol can be enjoyed with a meal or by itself. It is said to have medicinal and curative values. It is also offered to deities by certain tribes and is an essential part of their certain religious and cultural ceremonies.

RECIPES

1 : Maah Korai

mah korai/assamese trail mix

Ingredients

1 cup White sticky rice (Bora saul)
½ cup whole black gram (Mati dail)

3 tbs white Sesame seed

1 tbs grated ginger

1/2 cup peanuts

1/4 cup chopped toasted coconut bits

Salt, to taste.

Dry roast the ingredients

separately,other than the coconut.

Mix together in large bowl.

Season with salt and serve

.

 

2 : Til Pitha

til pitha/assamese rice cake

Ingredients

500g Sticky rice (bora saul)

200g jaggery, grated

200g Black sesame seed.

Soak the rice for few hours until soft . 

Drain the excess water and grind the rice to a fine powder.

Sieve, cover with a damp cloth and keep aside

Toast the sesame seeds and crush them while still warm.

Mix the sesame seed with the grated jaggery.

Heat an unseasoned griddle(tawa)

Take a handful of rice power and spread it in sweeping motion to form a disc of roughly 4"diameter.

Sprinkle sesame and jaggery mixture in the center. 


Roll into cylindrical shape and move it to the side of griddle.


Remove when crisp.


Serve with tea.


Black sticky rice (kola bora saul) can be used to make the above recipe, although not common. 

NOTE:Bora Saul is similar to Thailand Sticky Rice ,and can be used substituted for one another .