Patishapta:Indian Crêpes with Sweet Coconut Filling

Leave a reply

The next traditional sweet that is prepared in most of the Bengali homes in winter is Patishapta. The sweet coconut filling rolled up in a warm and soft crêpe is absolutely delicious in its own way. This is one the few pithes that I love.

I made this the other day for the first time and they came out quite well. I made some with only khoya filling as my husband is not a great fan of coconut. These rolled crêpes can be stored in room temperature for couple of days in the winter months or in a refrigerator for a week.

Patishapta : Indian Crêpes with Sweet Coconut Filling

Recipe makes: 6 medium size crêpes

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup rice flour
¼ cup semolina
2-4 tablespoons sugar
Milk as needed to make the batter
1 ½ cups sweet coconut filling
2 tablespoons melted ghee

For the sweet coconut filling

1 cup grated coconut
½ cup grated khoya or mawa
¼ cup nolen gur (date palm jiggery)
¼ cup sugar

In a big bowl add the all-purpose flour, rice flour, semolina and mix well then slowly add the milk and make a medium consistency batter. Add the sugar and give a good mix. Cover and set aside for at least half an hour.

Meanwhile make the coconut filling. Heat a pan over medium heat and add the grated coconut and grated khoya and stir. Let the mixture cook for couple of minutes and then add the sugar and nolen gur. Stir the mixture well till it starts to release from the pan and dries up a bit. Take off the heat and keep aside to cool.

Now to make the crêpes, first take a non-stick pan and heat over a low-medium flame. Give the batter a final mix and take a ladle full of batter and add it to the pan. Move the ladle in a circular motion to form an oval shape with the batter. Add a teaspoon of ghee to the sides of the pan. Let it cook for just couple of minutes and then add the stuffing to one end of the crêpe and roll it. Patishapta is now ready. Continue with the rest of the batter.

You can serve the patishapta as is or with kheer (reduced milk) on top and the leftover filling as a garnish.

Dunk the patishapta into nolen gurer payesh , give a bite and enjoy the sweetness of life.

Tips:

You can grind the grated coconut to get a smooth texture. You can use nolen gur to the crêpe batter, that will make the patishapta darker in color. Do not over mix the batter and few lumps are just fine.

Nolen Gurer Payesh:Rice Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery

3 Replies

Winter in India is well coveted by all. No more sweating, stickiness and the blazing sun around. Back home I used to love this time of the year the most. Life now is to enjoy the abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits. It is mainly the time for weddings, celebrations, fairs, picnics and all things revolve around good food. It is also the time for nolen gur (date palm jaggery) mostly in West Bengal. People wait to try different traditional homemade sweets and desserts with nolen gur as one of the key ingredients.

I grew up seeing my mom and grand mom making these sweets and desserts with great élan. Back then I never thought of learning the art and did not have a sweet tooth. Gradually my taste changed and started loving some of the pithe and nolen gurer payesh. Now I am far away from home and sometime when I crave for some traditional sweets, I have no other choice other than to try it myself. Maa makes the best payesh I ever had but never thought of taking down the recipe. The other day when I thought of giving the recipe a try, I called her and tried getting the recipe. You know how moms are; they will give you all the detailed instructions, the dos and don’ts but can’t say the exact amount of ingredients for the recipe. She insists on “chokher andaz” (to eye ball the ingredients for the recipe). After several conversations I came down to this recipe which came out beautifully. When I tasted, it just tasted like Maa’s. I love you Maa for the recipe. I want to document this recipe as I do not want to rely on ‘andaz’ in future.

The recipe is very simple with very few ingredients. Here I have used the liquid nolen gur which was available in the Bangladeshi store. The sweetness and the flavor were just right. You can always adjust the sweetness according to personal likings.

Nolen Gurer Payesh: Rice Pudding with Date Palm Jaggery

Recipe serves: 2-4 people

750 ml full-fat milk
3 tablespoons gobindobhog rice (short grained rice) or Basmati rice
6 tablespoons sugar
4-6 table spoons melted date palm jaggery
1 table spoon cashew nut soaked in water
1 table spoon raisins soaked in water

First wash the rice and then soak in water for at least half an hour. In a heavy bottomed pan bring the milk to a boil in medium heat, stirring continuously. When the milk gets one –two boils, drain the soaked rice and add it to the milk. Let the rice cook in the milk for some time. Keep stirring the milk to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Check for the doneness of the rice. The rice should be cooked through but not mushy and by this time the milk should become thick and reduce in volume. As soon as the rice is cooked, add the sugar, the date palm jaggery and the soaked nuts-raisins. Mix in well. Boil the mixture for 5-8 minutes. Take off the heat.

Serve at room temperature with some drops of melted nolen gur on top.

Tips:

Soaking of the rice is important. It makes the cooking time faster. Don’t forget to stir the milk continuously to avoid milk sticking to the bottom of the pan. If you are not sure about the quality of the nolen gur then mix it at last when the milk is in room temperature and avoid further boiling. That way the milk will never split.We don’t use bay leaf or green cardamom in this recipe as they might suppress the flavor of nolen gur but if you wish you can always add.

Chicken Saagwala or Palak Murgh

2 Replies

During the Holidays we had no plans. We went out with friends often, suddenly making a plan for a long drive or a movie night. It was fun having friends over and enjoying, laughing our hearts out to the slightest crack of a joke and chatting till the break of the dawn. This good time was even better when it was paired with great food.

We ordered food from a nearby Indian restaurant and on their menu was this “Chicken Saagwala”. This tasted so good that we all fell for it. Was it the chicken tikka that gave a great taste to the creamy spinach gravy or was it the good company that created the magic I don’t know, but I had in mind that I have to try the recipe in my kitchen. So here it is with all the smoky flavor of the chicken and smooth creamy texture of the bright green spinach, Chicken Saagwala or palak murgh is sure to hit the dinner table.

Chicken Saagwala or Palak Murgh

Recipe serves: 2-4 people

1 ½ bunch of fresh spinach
1 medium tomato grated
1 medium red onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon ginger paste
¼ teaspoon whole cumin
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon kasoori methi powder
¼ teaspoon garam masala
2 tablespoons oil
¼ cup fresh cream
10-12 pieces of chicken tikka

For the Tikkas

450 grams boneless chicken thigh cut into cubes
¼ cup hung curd or yogurt
2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 teaspoons coriander powder
Pinch of turmeric
½ teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
¼ teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
1 table spoon mustard oil (or any other oil)
1 table spoon lemon juice or white vinegar
Salt to taste
5-6 bamboo skewers soaked in water

At first make a marinade for the chicken. Take a bowl and add hung curd, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, red chilli powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, kasoori methi, lemon juice, salt and oil and mix well. Now add the cubed chicken pieces and mix in well, cover and keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. When the chicken is well marinated, pre-heat the oven to 450 F. Now divide the chicken cubes between the skewers keeping some space in between. Place the skewers on a pan and grill in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. When the chicken is cool enough to handle take out from the skewers and keep aside.

In a large pot bring water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile trim the roots from the spinach and give it a good wash, drain and keep aside. When the water starts to boil switch off the heat and add the spinach. Now keep a colander and a big bowl of cold water ready. After adding the spinach, wait for 3-4 minutes just until the spinach stats to wilt. Drain the spinach in the colander and add to the bowl of cold water immediately and drain again. This process is called blanching. Blend in a food processor into a smooth puree.

Now in a heated pan add oil and add the whole cumin. When it starts to splutter add onions and stir. Add the ginger and garlic paste, grated tomatoes, salt, coriander powder and continue to stir for 3-4 minutes. If needed you may add a little water. Now add the pureed spinach and mix well with the spices. Add water to get the right consistency. The gravy should be of medium consistency. Check for seasoning. Add the chicken tikkas and mix well with the gravy. Add garam masala and kasoori methi and the fresh cream. Switch off the heat and give a final mix.

Enjoy with pulao or naan.

Tips:

You may skip the process of making the chicken tikkas.In that case marinate the chicken cubes with salt, and ginger -garlic paste for half n hour and use while stirring the spices. You have to cook the chicken before adding the pureed spinach. To keep the bright green color of the spinach in the final dish it is important to blanch the spianch as directed. Do not cover the pan once the spinach is added or else it may lose the color.