Patishapta

Debjani Chatterjee Alam’s patali gurer patishapta is a Bengali winter sweet: a thin pancake rolled around a coconut-and-date-palm-jaggery filling. This selection follows her solid-jaggery version.

Jaggery dissolves in water, which is strained before it gradually joins the sifted flour, rice flour and semolina. The selected optional milk helps form the batter, which rests covered.

Freshly grated coconut cooks in a nonstick pan before the filling’s jaggery is added. Continued stirring thickens the mixture, which is transferred to a plate to cool.

The rested batter is gently stirred and spread into a circular disc on a ghee-greased nonstick pan. It cooks covered over low heat until golden brown, and filling is placed lengthwise on one side before the pancake is rolled.

The author offers hot or room-temperature serving with Nolen Gur or liquid jaggery. The selected rolls combine a thin golden pancake with the cooled coconut-jaggery filling.