Patishapta

Patishapta is an exotic Bengali dish, a must in Bengali households during Poush Sankranti. Yes, it is a little laborious recipe with respect to today’s fast paced lifestyle. But when winter allures with the availability of fresh jaggery, and the nip in the air makes it feel festive and the spirits are high, when the cool weather makes it easier to spend more time in the kitchen heat, why not indulge in such a culinary delight!

 

Ingredients –

  • Coconut (grated) / Kheer (crumpled)
  • Rice powder, Semolina (sooji) And White flour (maida) in 1:1:2 proportion
  • Milk
  • Sugar/Jaggery (or both)

Preparation –

  • One needs to prepare the filling of coconut or kheer as one may like.
  • Mix the powdered rice, Semolina And White flour, sugar, milk well. Make sure no lumps are formed.
  • In a wok, put the coconut or kheer in a low flame and sweeten it with jaggery or sugar.
  • Stir continuously. Add a little milk if it becomes too dry. The final consistency should be a sticky kind.
  • Remove from heat, when done, and keep it aside — this forms your filling.
  • Heat oil in a flat pan.
  • Make a flat thin pancake out of the liquid dough using the back of  laddle.
  • Once the round pancake becomes cooked, add the filling in the centre, and fold the pancake in a wrapped up style.
  • Let it cool in room temperature.
  • Serve

 

Tips:

  1. Since I do not store rice flour at all times, I often use only maida and sooji in 2:1 proportions. Tastes the same.
  2. You may garnish with kheer (boil milk with sugar till a thick consistency)
  3. To avoid the effort of #2, you may even garnish with sweetened condensed milk (store bought) — Milkmaid is what I have tried with
  4. You may even add cardamom powder and almond/ pistachio silvers for garnish