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–+ servings
Close-up look of Nasturtium leaves patra.

Stuffed Nasturtium Patra

Stuffed Nasturtium Patra is a vegan snack or an appetizer made using tender squash leaves, stuffed with a spicy, sweet filling made using gram flour and a few spices.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 Logs

Ingredients

  • 50 Large size Nasturtium leaves
  • 1 Cup gram flour - Besan
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or Freshly grated ginger garlic paste
  • Water as required
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida

To soak in warm water

  • 1 inch Tamarind pulp
  • 1 tablespoon Jaggery - Can be replaced with sugar
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water

Instructions

Soaking the ingredients

  • In a bowl add in the water, jaggery and Tamarind.
    1 tablespoon Jaggery, ¼ cup lukewarm water, 1 inch Tamarind pulp
  • Let this soak for 20-30 minutes.
  • After a while the tamarind would be soft and jaggery would be dissolved.
  • Extract the pulp by passing it through a strainer. Discard the seeds or any skin of tamarind.

Preparing the Batter

  • Sieve the gram flour in a bowl.
    1 Cup gram flour - Besan
    Gram Flour or Besan in a seive.
  • In a bowl add in the gram flour, turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt, sesame seeds, ginger garlic paste and asafotetida.
    1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chili powder, 1 teaspoon Sesame seeds, Salt, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
    Adding of spices in gram flour.
  • To this add in the soaked tamarind and jaggery paste.
  • Mix everything and make a smooth and a thick batter. Add little by little water , we do not want a thin or a runny batter. A thick batter helps in coating the leaves and making a tight log.
    The mixed batter for Patrodo.

Preparing the leaves

  • Rinse the leaves thoroughly to get rid of any impurities.
    50 Large size Nasturtium leaves
    Nasturtium Leaves
  • Nasturtium Leaves
  • Pat it dry.
  • Using a sharp knife carefully cut off the stems if thick.
  • If the main stem is thick, run a knife across to remove it. Do this very slowly or else you would tear the leaf.
  • You would not have any thick leaves but do check if you have.
  • On a clean kitchen working area, or on a board, roll the leaf with a rolling pin, if required.
  • This will even out the leaf and any hard stems or veins bulging out will flatten.
  • Divide the leaves in the order of big to small and make 3-4 groups/batches.

Filling/Stuffing the leaves

  • Now on the rough side of the leaf, apply the gram flour mixture. Do this with your finger tips.
  • Apply it all over.
  • Keep another leaf on the side of it and again apply a layer.
  • Now top it up with another 2 set of leaves and repeat the above steps.
  • Top it with 2 more and make 3 to 4 long layers depending on the size of the nasturtium leaves and the log size you need.
  • Repeat for another set.
  • Pro-Tip, Press the leaf on top of it. This helps in sticking the leaf firmly and making a proper log.
  • Then from both sides fold it and apply some batter.
  • Now start rolling the leaves from bottom slowly to form a tight log.
  • While rolling press, so that it removes any excess air in between.
  • When you reach the end, apply some batter at the end and seal it.
  • Do this for all the remaining leaves in the group.
  • Keep this in a grease steamer plate, with the sealed edge down. This helps in the log not opening up.
  • One can even use a clean thread and tie the logs. The thread can be removed after the logs have been steamed.

Steaming the Patra

  • Arrange the patra logs in a greased steamer tray.
  • Fill the steamer with water and let the water boil.
    Water as required
  • Once boiled, add the steamer tray as per your vessel settings.
  • Steam this in a steamer for 20 minutes.
  • Remove it and let it cool a bit before enjoying it as a steamed snack.
  • Using a sharp kniefe cut into slices and serve.

Shallow Frying the Patra

  • If you are shallow frying, let it cool completely.
  • Cut into slices and shallow fry or deep fry as required.
  • For Shallow Frying, warm the oil in a heavy bottom pan or griddle.
  • Once hot, shallow fry them on medium.
  • Keep on turning the patra in between to get fried on both the sides.
  • Do not let the oil too be too hot, or else it will burn the patra.

Notes

  • Standard US-size cups and spoons are used. 1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 cup =235 ml
  • Measurements are a rough guide. One can increase or decrease the spice level based on preference.
  • The batter quantity may be more or less depending on the size of the leaves too. If you have leftover batter, you can simply mix it with any greens and make some delicious Maharashtrian Kothimbir Vadi 
  • Slices will come out clean if you refrigerate and they will be crisp when you refrigerate and shallow fry.
  • Step by step pics will be updated soon.