Macher Patishapta

 Macher patishapta - 

Patishapta is a sweet pitha usually made during Makar Sankranti in Bengal. 

The patishapta base / crepe is made with rice flour, semolina and all purpose flour. Here taking inspiration from patishapta, I have made Maacher/ fish patishapta. Instead of sweet stuffing, savoury fish stuffing is added into the patishapta base. This dish can be enjoyed for breakfast or snack. 

Fish stuffing 

Ingredients 

250 grams boiled boneless fish mashed 

1 medium size onion sliced 

2 Green Chillies chopped 

1 tsp grated Ginger 

1 tsp grated Garlic 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1 Bay leaf

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/4 tsp Garam masala powder 

1/4 Chilli powder 

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Chaat masala 

1 tsp Tomato Ketchup 

1 tbsp Oil

Method 

Take a pan, add oil, once the oil heats up, add the bay leaf and cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds crackle, add the onion slices, ginger, garlic and green chillies chopped. Saute until the onions are light brown in colour. Add the boiled fish, salt, cumin powder, garam masala powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir and cook the fish for a minute, add the chaat masala and tomato ketchup. Stir and cook until the fish stuffing has cooked well. Sprinkle coriander leaves. 

For the crepe 

Ingredients 

3/4 cup whole wheat flour 

1/2 cup fine semolina 

1 Egg

Salt to taste 

1/4 tsp Baking powder 

1 tsp oil

Fish stock ( Remaining liquid after the boneless fish has been boiled) and water as per required 

Method 

Take flour, semolina, baking powder and salt. Mix all the above ingredients together. Add the egg and the fish stock,  add water little at a time if required to make a batter. The batter should be of thick flowing consistency. Beat well so that no lumps should remain. Cover and let it rest for 10 minutes. 

To make Macher Patishapta 

Ingredients 

Fish stuffing 

Batter 

Method 

Take a pan, keep the flame on medium. Once the pan warms up, pour a ladle full of batter, rotate the batter and make a thin crepe, let the crepe cook, once done, remove the crepe on a plate, spread some fish stuffing on the crepe, roll the crepe and enjoy it with salad, Kasundi and tomato ketchup.

Mangalorean Buns with Veg Sagu

 May times we have visited Mangalore and every time we enjoyed this meal during breakfast. My friend’s MIL makes one of the best Mangalorean Buns. This dish is very popular in Mangalore and is available in most of the restaurants for breakfast. 

Here is the recipe - 

Mangalore Buns

 Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat flour  Flour

2 medium sized Ripe banana

2 tbsp Jaggery powder or Sugar 

½ tsp Cumin powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Curd

1 tsp ghee

oil for deep frying

Method

Take a mixing bowl, mash the bananas, now add sugar, salt,  baking soda, cumin powder and curd . Mix the ingredients well into a smooth paste. Add the flour and knead the flour into a dough, add little more flour if required. The dough is slightly sticky. While kneading you can apply some ghee and knead. Keep the dough covered in a bowl overnight. Knead the dough the next morning. The dough is a bit sticky, so dust some flour and take medium sized balls from the dough and roll into round pooris. Fry each poori into medium hot oil till they are puffed and golden. Serve the buns as snacks or enjoy for breakfast with veg sagu or with coconut chutney or Sambar. 

Veg Sagu Recipe - 

Wet Paste 

Ingredients 

1 small Onion chopped 

1 small Tomato chopped 

2 Green Chillies 

Few Coriander stems cut into pieces 

1 small piece of Ginger 

2 tbsp grated Coconut or desiccated Coconut 

4 to 5 Cashew nuts

Salt to taste 

1 tsp Jagger 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin powder 

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 

1/4 tsp Chilli powder 

Method 

Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste with water. 

Veg Sagu 

Ingredients 

1 medium bowl around 250 grams of vegetables cut into small pieces - Carrot, French Beans, Cauliflower, Capsicum, Green Peas and Potato

2 Green Chillies 

Few Curry leaves 

Few Coriander leaves chopped 

1/2 tsp Chana dal

1/2 tsp Urid dal 

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds 

1 Dried Red Chilli cut into pieces 

Few Cashew nuts  

Wet Paste 

2 tbsp Oil 

Take a pressure cooker, add oil, once the oil heats up, add the dried chilli, chana dal and Urid dal. Once the dals are half fried, add mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute until the mustard seeds crackle. Add the vegetables, cashews and green chillies. Sauté for 2 minutes. Add the wet paste and continue to cook until the oil releases from the paste. Add 3/4 cup of water. Stir, cover the pressure cooker and give 2 to 3 whistles. Once the air pressure releases, check the gravy, as per choice, we can reduce the gravy. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with poori, buns, Paratha etc.