How to make Paatra ?
Paatra leaves/ colocasia leaves are popularly used in gujarati and konkan cuisine. These leaves are used as main ingredient in number of dishes like dal and curry and others but paatra is one among the famous ways of eating this. This is served as a part of a lunch or dinner as an appetiser or a snack. This recipe is for two people
Ingredients:
Packet of patra leaves / about 10 -12 leaves
For seasoning
- Ghee- 1 tsp
- Mustards seeds – 1/2 tsp
- Sesame seeds – 1 tsp
For filling
- Chickpea flour/ besan – 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Grated ginger – 1/2 tbsp
- Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
- Jaggery – 1 tbsp
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
- Hot water – 1/2 cup (approx)
- Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
Procedure:
- Wash the leaves first and with a knife cut and remove the Y shaped stem which holds the leaves together. By removing this stem rolling becomes easy.
- In a mixing bowl, make a paste of chickpea flour/ besan, salt, grated ginger, chilli powder, grated jaggery, oil, lemon juice sesame seeds and hot water. Mix to give a thick paste. Adjust water accordingly.
- Turn the leaves over and spread the thick paste on the dull side with a spatula and place one leaf on top of other in the opposite directions. (taking the pointy tip and the stemmed base as reference)
- Fold each pair similar to closing an envelope. Turn them over and add more paste to seal the leaves tightly. Roll one end up and continue rolling to make a shape similar to Swiss rolls.
- Now continue this process till all the leaves are rolled like Swiss rolls.
- Prepare a steaming pot/ steamer. Place all the rolled paatra leaves into the steamer and steam them for about 15 minutes (just like idlis).
- Turn the heat off and let the steamer cool.
- Remove the steamed Patras carefully from the steamer and cut each rolled paatra on a cutting board into as many slices of 1 to 1.5 cm.
- Place the slices on a flat plate and garnish with a seasoning of tempered mustard seeds and sesame seeds in ghee.
- Serve with tamarind chutney to Perumal and enjoy His prasadam.
