Food & Faith

Passport & Plate - Patid

India | Sunday, March 9, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
Colocassia or Taro leaves 10
Gram flour 2 1/2 cups
Green chillies,chopped 2-3
Ginger,chopped 1 inch
Onions,chopped 2 medium
Coconut,dessicated 2 tablespoons
Sesame seeds (til) 2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Soda bicarbonate a pinch
Asafoetida a pinch
Jaggery 50 grams
Tamarind pulp 1 teaspoon
Oil 2 tablespoons
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon

 

How to prepare this recipe
Clean wash and trim the Taro/ Colocassia leaves. In a clean bowl take Gram flour and add salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, onion, sesame seeds, desiccated coconut, soda bi carbonate, asafoetida, tamarind pulp and jaggery. Add a little water to form a thick batter. Take a leaf, spread the batter on top, keep another leaf over it and spread some more batter over it. Roll the leaves tightly and tie with twine. Steam for 20-25 minutes or till done. Remove and let it cool down. Cut them into slices. Heat oil in a pan. Add whole mustard seeds, asafoetida and a little sesame seeds. When it starts to crackle pour this tempering on steamed patra slices.

 

The story behind this recipe
India is well known the for its strange rituals and believes.Here,people have superstition and myths even about food.Few miles before Shimla District in Himachal Pradesh is a Village called Kaithlighat were this dish is prepared during the month of August exactly 11 days after the festival called Rakshabandhan.This day when people prepare the dish Patid is called Dagalei.According to the mythology ,Lord Rama( a Hindu God) during the era of truth killed every demon on earth.After this defeat devil along with his army from hell surrendered to the Lord and begged for their lives.It is believed that on this Lord Rama, to maintain the balance allowed demons a day when they can spread evil on earth without any hurdle in their way,later this day came to be known as Dagalei .Taro plant is believed to have power to stop devil. People also believe that preparing this dish and eating it on the entrance of their houses prevents the entrance of evil inside their houses.They sit with the dish at the entrance of their house and cut the slices of
dish believing that by this they are cutting down the devil. These people still have faith on this food to protect them.