PATOLI

Patoli( sweet dish on turmeric leaves)

Patoli is a G.S.B sweet dish generally made in month of Shravan (the month of festivals). It is a must preparation on the couple of festive occasions like Naga Panchami, Gauri/Hartalika  pooja day(Vaina pooja which is a day prior to ganapati festival) and also during Ganesh Chaturthi and is offered  to God as Naivedyam. As per Vedas, you should eat only steamed and boiled food on Nag Panchami and strictly avoid tempering based preparation thus gets importance along with Shevai (rice noodles) savored with coconut  milk another true GSB delicacy.

Patoli gets its taste purely from the turmeric leaves, though they are not eaten but add great aroma to the dish. Given the need, some similar looking leaves too available. Best way to check for authenticity is take a small bit of tip of leaf and crush with your fingers,  you should get the strong smell of wet turmeric.  Some people grow them in kitchen garden too. Best to buy from market from a known source. We get them abundance during the rainy season. 

Patoli is made by using common ingredients a available in every household like rice, coconut,  jaggery.

There are two variations of this dish one is sweet and other is bland or Cheppi (as said in konkani), let's gather the ingredients quickly 

What we want are 15 no Turmeric leavea( based on pieces you wish to prepare,one per piece, 1 cup Rice(soaked for 2 hours), 2 cup grated coconut, 250 gms Jaggery, 1Tsp elaichi/cardamom powder, 2tbsp poha(flattened rice) powder, salt to taste.

Let us now prepare taste Patoli: it has a rice batter which is prepared by soaking rice for about 2 hours and then grind into fine paste with bit of salt, as per taste. Make sure you grind with little bit of water to get dry batter.

Now let's prepare sweet part or churn

Grate coconut and keep aside, Take kadai, on low flame, add crushed Jaggery, keep stirring, to avoid Jaggery getting burnt. Once the Jaggery has melt completely, add grated coconut and elaich powder and pinch of salt. Keep stirring the preparation constantly till there is no hissing sound of evaporation water from grated coconut. Some people add poha powder to absorb excess water in chruna and keep it dry. Once ready turn off the flame and keep it aside to cool down.

Wash the turmeric leaves nicely, let them dry naturally or wipe them dry. Spread them on a flat surface such as Dinning table or kitchen platform. Hold the leaf by one hand and put spoonfull of rice batter and spread it in near center and then across the middle of the leaf. Manage the quantity such that it does not make it thick but is just sufficient. Now fold the leaf along the center and make sure the rice batter is completely covering the Churna. You will learn the trick after making couple of them, so don't get stressed out!! You have just completed important step of preparation of patoli now..

Take sufficient size steamer,add water and keep it on low flame, when water starts boiling, start placing raw patoli side by side such that the batter does not drip from leaf. Steam it form about 20 mins...as it steaming, the turmeric fragrance start spreading in the kitchen. Patoli is ready to be served now. The aroma of the dish when it fills in the kitchen will make you tempted to flick atleast 2 pieces...and need to control especially if you have plans to offer in Naivedyam.

I did mention about bland variety of patoli which is made without  the churna, otherwise preparation is same. This is usually made for Gauri pooja day.

Many people prefer to have patoli drenched in pure ghee, you may decide as per family health preferences. 

You can make it in bulk and store it in fridge and savour it in next couple of days, keep the patoli in turmeric leaf only. Just quick steam or de-freeze in microwave before serving without loosing the true taste.

Do try this simple taste GSB delicacy and let me know your family experience.