Patholi

Patholi

The festive month of Shravan is here with lot of food varieties, as we get those things only during the monsoon season. Likewise in this season we can find lot of fresh turmeric leaves growing easily or available in the market. In Goa Patholis are especially made on the Nag Panchami day by the Hindu community.

Patholi is a traditional Goan / Manglorean dish which is prepared with rice flour and stuffed with coconut jaggery mixture and steamed in turmeric leaves. The main ingredient here is the “ Turmeric leaves” which gives the special flavorful aroma.  They are also prepared and offered as Naivedya to Ganapati bappa.

Here we don’t find the turmeric leaves, so had asked my MIL to send the turmeric leaves. These pathlois can also be made in banana leaf but the special aroma of turmeric leaf will be missing.  The patholis prepared in turmeric leaf are awesome to taste and the heavenly aroma of it will just leave you totally indescribable.

 

Turmeric Leaves

Ingredients:

3 -4 Fresh Turmeric leaves

1cup rice flour

1 cup water or as needed

Salt

For Stuffing:

1 cup freshly scrapped coconut

½ cup grated jaggery (adjust the sweetness as per the ones sweet tooth)

5 Green cardamoms powdered

Few raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts

1 tblspn Khuskhus (optional)

Method:

   1.    In a bowl add rice flour, salt as per the taste and mix it with water to make thin sticky dough and keep it aside.

   2.    In another bowl take freshly scrapped coconut, jaggery, cardamom powder, raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts. Mix it well.

   3.    Wash and pat dry the turmeric leaves.  If the leaves are large enough like the ones which I have cut them in half so that they can be easily placed in the steamer too. Take the dough and the stuffing handy with little water in a small bowl.

   4.    Take a turmeric leaf with vein side facing down. Spread the rice dough on the leaf using little water to spread easily.

   5.    Add the stuffing mixture on one side of the leaf and fold the leaf. Patting it on all the sides of the leaf to seal the edges.  Repeat the procedure with the remaining leaves.

   6.    Place them in the steamer and cook them for 20 minutes. By now your kitchen would be full of heavenly aroma of turmeric leaves. “Be careful even neighbours might come to check in J”

   7.    Serve them warm as it is or with little ghee on it.

###A very special note: Turmeric leaf is used as aromatic wrapper, it is not meant to be eaten J

NOTE:

•      Banana leaf can be used as a substitute for turmeric leafs but that special aroma and taste of turmeric will be missing.
•   Sugar can also be used instead of Jaggery.
•      Khuskhus, raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts are fully optional.
•      Depending upon the size of the leaf  you can cut them half or if small leaves can be used whole.

Aloo wadi

Aloo wadi

Aloo wadi is a snack made up of Colocasia leaves, which are stuffed, rolled and is a popular cusine in Maharashtra and Gujarat.  Colocasia leaves are commonly also known as Taro leaves. In Hindi they are called “Arbi ke patte, in Marathi “Aloochi paan”. These leaves are mostly available during monsoon (especially Shravan Mass) in India.

While making Aloo wadi selecting the leaves is very important step. There are 2 types and can be easily recognized by their stem color. The green colored stem ones are used to make sabji and the black stems ones are used to make Aloo wadi. These leaves are little bit itchy, which is due to presence of Oxalic acid crystals, which can be easily corrected by adding sour things while cooking it.

Taro leaves are a rich source of Vitamin A, B6, C, Phosphorus, Protein, Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesiun, Potassium, Copper, Mangnesium and are good source of dietary fiber too.

These rolls can be made a day before and then tempered or shallow fried. They can be served plain or with green chutney or as a side dish with steamed rice and curry. They are also a nice teatime snacks during monsoon season.

Ingredients:

6 – 7 Taro leaves

1 ½ cup Besan (chickpea flour)

2 tblspn Red chilly powder

1 tblspn Garam Masala powder

1tspn Turmeric powder

Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)

1tspn Corriander powder

1 big lemon size ball of tamarind pulp

½ cup Jaggery

½ cup thick Coconut milk

Salt to taste

Oil for shallow frying

1tblspn Seasme seeds (Optional)

Method:

    1.    Soak the tamarind with jaggery in hot water for half an hour.

    2.    Cut the stalks and veins from the backside of the leaf, this makes them easier to roll. Now wash and pat dry the leaves.

    3.    In a medium sized bowl take besan, red chilly powder, Garam masala powder, coriander and turmeric powder with a pinch of hing and slat to taste. Mix it well.

    4.    Now add 1/4^th of the tamrind- jaggery pulp water and mix it well. Add the coconut milk to make a thick paste. You can add a tblspn of Seasme seeds for nutty flavor (Optional).

   5.    To start making the rolls use the leaves size wise, using the larger leaf first. Ensure that the dark side of the leaf is kept at the bottom. Sprinkle some tamarind- jaggery water on the leaf then apply the besan paste evenly all over the leaf. Now take another leaf and place the leaf tip in opposite direction. Placing the leaves in the opposite direction helps to roll them easily.  Sprinkle it again with tamarind-jaggery water and apply the besan paste. Repeat the process for all the three leaves.

   6.    Now fold the leaves from both the sides and apply the besan paste. Start rolling the leaves tightly. I have made two rolls of  6 Taro leaves, taking three leaves in each roll.

   7.    Place the rolls in the steamer and steam them for 15- 20 mintues.  After steaming allow them to cool at room temperature.

   8.    Cut the rolls into ½” inch thickness and shallow fry them till golden in color. Garnish it with sesame seeds, freshly grated coconut and  fresh coriander leaves.

NOTE:

•      Avoid using more than 3 – 4 leaves in a roll, as it will make difficult to roll the leaves.
•           These rolls are ready to eat after steaming. But I like mine shallow fried, as I have grown up eating it in that way. As shallow fried ones are nice and crunchy to taste.
•     Always remember to use the leaves as per the size. Starting with the biggest first.
•     Extra rolls can be stored in the refrigerator they remain fresh for as long as 2 months if packed tightly in an air tight container lined with silver foil.

Unnakaya / Banana Rolls

Unnakaya / Banana Rolls

Unnakaya is a spindle shaped sweet dessert or a snack made up of plantains. It’s a delicacy from Malabar region of Kerala served during weddings, Iftar and other occasion.

The very first time I got to eat this from a friend on an Iftar day and I fall in love with it.  It’s a yummmmmy dessert.  I asked for the recipe from her and was surprised to know that we can do wonders with this plantain. My husband is from Kerala but even he never had it.

This particular recipe is rarely available in shops or in restaurants. For this recipe we need the plantains, which are just about to get ripe. If they are fully ripe then stuffing and making them in shape becomes impossible.

So lets proceed with the recipe.

Ingredients:

4 just about to ripe Plantains / Ethapazham

1 ½ cup Desiccated fresh Coconut

Few raisins and broken pieces of cashewnuts

½ tspn Cardamom powder

1/4^th cup grated jaggery (adjust as per your sweet tooth)

Oil for deep-frying

Method:

    1.    Wash the plantains and steam them for 20-25 minutes. Poke the fork in it to see if they are soft if not steam them further more for 10-15 minutes.

    2.    Let them cool, then peel the skin and mash the plantains or grind the plantains in the mixer without using water till we get the soft smooth dough. Keep it aside.

    3.    In a medium sized bowl mix desiccated coconut, raisin, broken pieces of cashewnuts, jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix them nicely till all are blended very well.

    4.    Grease your hands with oil, take lemon size plantain dough and flatten it in your palm.

    5.    Put a spoonful of coconut mixture in the centre of the flatten dough and fold your hands to seal the edges and to give it a spindle shape.

   6.    Though you can make them in any shape you like.

   7.    Repeat the same with rest of the plantain dough.

   8.    Heat the oil for deep-frying and put one by one banana rolls and fry them till they are golden brown in color. Keep them on the kitchen paper towel to remove excess oil.

   9.    Serve them at teatime, Iftar or any occasion.

NOTE:

• For Unnakaya choosing the plantain is very important as they should not be very much ripe nor raw. They should be just ripe.
•  If they are over ripen don’t try to make Unnakaya, as you will never get the shape of it.
• Sometimes the plantains might not become soft, in that case just steam them for another 10-15 minutes.
•  The plantain dough consistency should be like of a mashed potato.
• For mashing the plantains you can also grind them but don’t add water while grinding, else the binding will break and wont hold the shape.
• For coconut mixture there are many variations some like to add eggs to it, and fry the coconut mixture. While some like to fry the coconut, raisins and cashew nuts in ghee.

Deep Fried Ice cream

Deep Fried Ice cream 

Yeah friends you are reading it correctly “Deep fried Ice cream” and I have not gone crazy. It’s a combination of hot and cold.

It’s actually a treat, which seems impossible by placing a frozen ice cream into boiling oil and still keeping the ice cream in perfect shape. The outcome of this project is truly delicious indulgence that is ideal for dessert, parties and alike.

Ingredients:

6 Scoops of Vanilla Ice cream or (any flavour of your choice)

1 ½ cup Cornflakes crushed

1 Egg

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

   1.    Scoop ice cream and keep it on the tray that can go in the freezer. Keep the tray in the freezer till the ice cream scoops are hard to touch. Max for an hour or depending on freezers cooling system.

  

   2.    In a deep bowl take crushed cornflakes and in other deep bowl beat the egg.

   3.    Now take the scoops out of the freezer and roll them in the crushed cornflakes then in egg and then again in crushed cornflakes coating the ice cream properly with the cornflakes.

   4.    Place the scoops back in the freezer till they are completely frozen.

   5.    Heat the oil in a pan for deep frying until the oil reaches boiling point. Put the frozen ice cream scoops in the oil and just fry till it turns golden brown in color, which is about 30 sec to 1 min.  

   6.    Serve them immediately in the serving bowl and drizzle your favourite toppings.

NOTE:

• Deep fry the ice cream scoops one at a time and serve them immediately or the ice cream will start melting.
• When making for large group make sure that the scoops doesn’t melt hence remove them from the freezer one at a time.
• Outer coating can be made more crunchier by adding coconut, walnut, digestive biscuits or cookie crumbs in cornflakes mixture.