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Dal Paturi |
Paturi
is a style of traditional Bengali cooking wrapped and steamed/roasted in banana
leaf. The
delicate flavor that the banana leaves impart into the steaming food is simply
matchless. It is prepared with fishes, vegetables, lentils and all other
possible combinations. One such is dal paturi.
It is a paste of bengal gram / yellow split peas (Chana dal /matar dal) and coconut steamed to
form a delicate ‘cake’.
My Thami(Granny) used to cook this for us & it was a family favorite food. She used to fold the batter in banana leaf, & then place on the tawa & after that it got slow cooked on the heat of charcoal oven (unun). The taste of Granny’s hand cooked food-the aroma of banana leaf & charcoal all are missing these days.Dal paturi is one of my favorite food.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup -split bengal gram/ chana dal
1 ¼ cup – freshly grated coconut or ½ a fresh coconut
2 tbsp -mustard oil
2-3 nos – green chilies (as per your spice taste)
Fresh coriander leaves- 2 tbsp (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Salt and sugar to taste
FOR ROASTING
Banana leaf
METHOD:
Grind
the soaked split peas with little water possible (4-5tbsp). The texture of the
paste should be a bit rough.
Mix together chana dal
paste, grated coconut, turmeric powder, coriander leaf and green chillies, together. Add salt and sugar to taste. Add 3 tbsp of
mustard oil (raw) to the chana dal paste.
Prepare the banana leaf/leaves. Cut the
leaf, pass it over the gas flame, this will soften the leaf and help the paste
to b wrapped nicely. De-vein the leaf. Do not throw the veins away, you will
need it to tie the leaf parcel later.
Arrange for 4 parcels by laying down double layer of the leaf piece. Put a
portion of the paste in the centre and wrap it up. Tie the parcels with the
veins.
Heat up the griddle (tawa). Place the
parcels on it. Lower the heat to minimum, cover and let it cook for 20-25 mins.
Flip them over to the other side of the parcel. And let it cook another 20 mins.
Take it off fire. Cut into wide squares & serve hot or room
temperature as a starter/side with cooked red lentil( masur dal) and white
rice.
One can also steam the
parcels.
Author :
Manna Majumder
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