Patra Masala
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
1/4 c. canola oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/4 tsp. ground asafetida
1 package frozen patra
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
8 fresh curry leaves
1/2 c. shredded fresh coconut (optional)
1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping.
3. Sprinkle in the cumin and asafetida.
4. Immediately add the patra in a single layer and cook until lightly browned on the bottom (~1 minute).
5. Flip the patra over and brown the other side.
6. Add the tomato, cilantro, and curry leaves.
7. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook for ~5 minutes. Do not stir!
8. Gently transfer the patra to a platter and spoon the tomato and any drippings over them.
9. Sprinkle with coconut (if using) and serve!
Easy-peasy! Dinner in under 10 minutes!
However, if you'd prefer to make your own patra from scratch, here's how Iyer recommends doing it:
Patra
From 660 Curries
8 medium to large taro leaves (or collard greens)
1 c. chickpea flour
2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. ginger chile paste
1/2 tsp. tamarind concentrate
cooking spray or vegetable oil
1. Rinse the leaves under cold water to wash off any dirt.
2. Working with one leave at a time, fold them in half lengthwise, along the stem and slice off the tough stem end. (When you unfold the leaf, you should have a V-shaped base.)
3. Combine the chickpea flour, masala, salt, sugar, cayenne, and turmeric.
4. Gradually add ~1/4 c. warm water, a Tbsp. or so at a time, whisking until the mixture forms a thick paste. (It should resemble smooth peanut butter.)
5. Whisk in the ginger chile paste and tamarind concentrate.
6. Place a leaf on your work surface and place ~1 Tbsp. of the chickpea flour mixture on it.
7. Use a spatula to spread it out to cover as much of the leaf as possible. Use a little more paste if needed, but no more than 2 Tbsp. per leaf in total. (Or else you may run out!)
8. Place a second leaf on top of the first, with its base at the opposite end of the bottom one.
9. Spread more paste over the second leaf.
10. Repeat the layering twice more.
11. Rolling from one end, roll the 4-layered leaves into a tight log.
12. Repeat with the remaining leaves and paste.
13. Lightly spray (or oil) a steamer basket or line the bottom of a bamboo steamer with wax paper and lightly spray/oil the paper.
14. Place prepared steamer in a pan or wok half-filled with water.
15. Place both rolled logs in the steamer basket and bring the water to a boil.
16. Once the water comes to a gentle boil, cover the pan and steam until the leaves are olive green and any visible filling is opaque and no longer looks wet (20-25 minutes).
17. Transfer logs to a cutting board and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.
18. Cut them crosswise into 1/2" thick discs.
19. Patra may now be used as direct in recipe or placed in a freezer bag and stored in the freezer until ready to use.
Adaptations
Vegan-ize It!
This recipe is already basically vegan, so I won't bother writing out the whole ingredient list again. Just be sure to either double-check that your sugar is vegan or substitute it for 3/4 tsp. agave syrup. And if you are going to be using agave syrup, add it along with the tamarind concentrate rather than with the other dry ingredients.
Make It FODMAP-Friendly!
Patra
Slightly adapted from 660 Curries
8 collard leaves
1 c. chickpea flour
2 tsp. dhania-jeera masala
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 Tbsp. ginger paste
1/2 tsp. tamarind concentrate
This recipe does include chickpeas (in the form of chickpea flour), but it is in small enough quantities that it shouldn't pose an issue unless you are very sensitive to legumes. The turmeric included in the filling along with the asafetida in the sauce should also help mitigate any effects the chickpeas might have.
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