What is Patoli
Rice rolls stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery, and then steamed result in the dish named Patoli or Patoleo. The stuffing mixture may be flavored with spices like cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and dry fruits or nuts. What makes Patoli extra special is the fact that method of cooking involves steaming these rice rolls in fresh turmeric leaves. July to September are the months when the markets in Goa and the Konkan belt of India are abundant with fresh turmeric leaves. When the Patoli rolls are steamed in these leaves, they acquire their beautiful sweet and floral fragrance, making this dish all the more desirable and delectable. Patoleo are usually made in Gauri and Ganesha festivals in this region. The Christian community uses a smearing of rice paste on the turmeric leaves, and cook the Patoli in a traditional steamer during their harvest festival. Some of the sweets and desserts in the Indian food repertoire are loaded with fats and sugar. Patoli is a welcome change! Thin and soft steamed rice covers stuffed with a heavenly coconut and melted jaggery mixture infused with the scent of spices and turmeric leaves.
About This Recipe
My mom too makes Patoli and this is her recipe only. She uses a non-fermented batter which she makes from scratch by soaking and grinding rice. I have taken the easy route by making this dish with fine rice flour. Patoli tastes similar to a Modak except for the scent from the turmeric leaves. There are a few variations of this delish sweet in the Indian cuisine. A similar variant Ela Ada is made in Kerala with plantain leaves instead of turmeric leaves. In Odisha another variation called Enduri Pitha is made with an outer layer of fermented urad dal and rice batter stuffed with a sweetened paneer filling, steamed in turmeric leaves. As I mentioned earlier, the fresh turmeric leaves used to steam these sweet rice rolls makes all the difference. This is definitely the USP of Patoli. You’ll know this while steaming these delicacies, as your kitchen will be filled with the divine aroma from these. If you can’t source turmeric leaves, steam the Patoleo in banana leaves. Turmeric leaves are used to bring flavor and a lovely fragrance to any dish. So they are used to steam food or added to rice and sweet dishes. On occasions I also make Idli that are steamed in these fragrant leaves. The procedure of preparing a Patoli takes a lot of patience and efforts. But eventually, you’ll find it all worth. What I also like about this delicacy is that it is vegan, gluten-free, oil free and a healthier choice of a sweet dish.
How to make Patoli
Prepare Batter
- In a pan or bowl, mix 2 cups rice flour and ½ teaspoon salt with about 1.5 to 2 cups water to make a thick batter. The batter should be thicker than a Dosa Batter. It should not be runny when spread on the leaves. Depending on the quality of rice flour, you can add less or more water than what I have added in the recipe.
Make Sweet Filling
- Mix 2 cups fresh grated coconut, 1.5 to 2 cups powdered jaggery, 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder and 1 to 2 pinches grated nutmeg in a plate or bowl. Note that I have used fine jaggery powder. If you chop jaggery, then cook it with the coconut and cardamom powder for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat.
Make Patoli
- Now, rinse 8 to 10 large or 18 to 20 small turmeric leaves. Wipe them dry. Slice the stalks from the leaves. Take each leaf and smash lightly the middle vein of each leaf with a pestle. This helps in rolling the leaves easily. You can also scrape off the thick center vein with a knife.
- Spread the rice batter on the leaf. Cover the complete leaf.
- Place the coconut-jaggery filling in the center of the leaf.
- Fold one side down and press the edges. You can fold the leaves vertically or horizontally.
- Since I had long leaves, I had cut the leaves into 2 or 3 parts. If you have small leaves, you can keep them whole and intact.
Steam Patoleo
- Place the stuffed leaves on an idli steamer rack or any steamer lid or rack.
- Steam these for about 10 to 12 minutes or till done. Remove once steamed. You can use either the pressure cooker or idli cooker for steaming. If you have a small steamer, you will have to repeat the whole process. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups of water while steaming.
- When warm, gently remove the turmeric leaves from the steamed rolls and serve immediately. Patoli can be had plain or with drizzled with some ghee or with a side of coconut milk or milk.
My Loss, Your Gain
One day while making the Patoli, I got a call from someone and I had to step out of my home because of the urgency. I had kept some Patoleo for steaming and told my sister to keep a check on that batch till I returned. My sister did prepare the remaining rolls, but stacked them one above the other. Due to the steam, all the Patoli rolls stuck to each other. It was super difficult to separate them and we had a tough time to take out a few intact ones, which I could use for photography. It was already late and dark amidst this mayhem. So, I had to manage with some not so good-looking shots! I hope you learn from this episode that you must not keep freshly steamed Patoli rolls stacked on top of each other, ever! But do go ahead and make this dish at home. Your family’s going to thank you for it. This is my assurance!
Expert Tips
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Puran Poli Recipe Fried Modak Rava Laddu Recipe | Suji Ke Laddu Coconut Ladoo Recipe | Nariyal ke Laddu Made In 3 Unique Ways This Patoli Recipe from the archives was first published in September 2012. It has been updated and republished in February 2024.
