Patoleo

Shravan is considered a very auspicious month as it comes fully loaded with many festivals. In Goa, we celebate Shravan sundays full of zest and vigour and every sunday, one of those special reserved recipes are prepared. One of it includes Patoleo. Yesterday, I prepared this for the first time, and it cam out really awesome. Other Shravan sunday recipes will be posted soon.

Patoleo is prepared by cooking the rice paste with coconut-jaggery mix in a special turmeric leaf which are also called as patoleo pana meaning patoleo leaves. Once cooked, these leaves pass on their aromatic flavour to the rice.

Ingriedients:
Rice - 1 cup
Grated coconut - half cup
Jaggery - half cup
Turmeric leaves\ Patoleo pana - around 8
Salt

Procedure:
1. Soak 1 cup rice in adequate amount of water for atleast 8 hours. Add very less water, just enough for the rice to get soaked.
2. Grind it in the mixer to form a thick paste. Do not add water while grinding. Add a pinch of salt while grinding.
3. In a mixing bowl, add the grated coconut and jaggery and mix well. Make sure no lumps of jaggery are present.
4. Next take the turmeric leaves, wash them well and wipe them with a clean dry cloth. Cut the ends of the leaf.
5. Next spread the rice paste evenly on the turmeric leaf. Try to form a thin layer. Spread the jaggery coconut mix in the center of the rice paste layer. At the end, fold the leaf and press its edges to seal it.  Place it on a steel plate.
6. In a similar way, continue with the other turmeric leaves till the rice paste gets over. Place them on a plate on by one.
7. Finally place the place in a cooker and cook it for 2-3 whistles.

The delicious Patoleo is ready.
Serve it hot along with the turmeric skin.

Notes:
1. While eating, the turmeic skin needs to be removed. It is not edible. It is used just for its flavour.
2. You can also soak rosematta rice (Ukdha rice) instead of normal rice. It tastes more delicious.
3. Another way of preparing the rice paste is to add 1 cup rice flour to half cup boiled water and a pinch of salt and knead it like dough. It you do not want to pre soak rice, then this is one alternative.
4. You can also add elaichi or cardomom powder to the coconut jaggery mix.