Makar Sankranti Recipe- Patishapta To Make The Day Delicious

Makar Sankranti which is known as Poush Sankranti in Bengal, is an auspicious day in the yearly calendar. It is celebrated as the new harvest season is about to start and the Sun God will start his northward journey from Sankranti. This time a special type of jaggery also gets made from Dates, called Nalen Gur, which actually adds more taste to the sweets of this time. New Woman shares some authentic Bengali sweet recipes, which are made from this jaggery.

Ingredients

For Filling

Desiccated coconut: 2 ½ cups
jaggery: 1 cup or sugar: 1½ cup or condensed milk: 400ml
cardamom powder: ½ tsp, dry fruits: according to your choice
Khoya: 1/3 cup (homemade or store bought)
sugar: if necessary

For Cepes

All-purpose flour: 1 cup
rice flour: 6 tbsp
semolina: 5 tbsp
caster sugar: 1 tsp
cardamom essence: 2-3 drops
milk: ½ cup + 1/3 cup (if necessary),
ghee/ any white oil to fry

Method

For Filling

* Make tiny pieces of the jaggery. It will help the coconut to blend with it faster. Take a large pan and heat on medium flame.

* Add desiccated coconut and dry roast for 2-3 mins on medium-low flame. Add jaggery/sugar/condense milk into pan, whichever you are using.

* Try to mix it with the coconut flakes. In the beginning it will seem to be impossible but allow the jaggery to warm a little to melt.

* Then these will easily mix up. Once you notice that jaggery-coconut mixture is not sticking to the pan any more, add khoya and keep stirring continuously on medium-low flame.

* Once khoya is mixed completely increase the flame to medium and stir non-stop for 1-2 mins. If you are also using dry fruits, add them now.

* Switch off the flame, sprinkle cardamom powder and transfer immediately into a flat wide palate to cool off.

For Crepes

* Sieve and sift the both flour in a deep bottomed bowl.

* Add semolina and caster powder. Add milk little by little to make a thick paste. Add very small amount of milk to avoid lumps.

* Break the lumps, if any forms and mix well with a fork. Once the batter is lump free and smooth add more milk and keep mixing to form a very balanced batter.

* Take a non-stick flat pan or tava. Add few drop of ghee on it.

* Place a ladle full of batter on the pan and rotate the pan to cover the surface with the batter.

* Keep the flame on low, otherwise the crêpes will be brown in color and that will be the last thing we want.

* Once the crêpe changes the color to pale golden, carefully flip it and allow the opposite side to cook.

Assembling The Patishapta

* Take 1-2 tbsp of the filling prepared before in your palm and make a flat rectangle pattie.

* Flip the crêpe again and place the pattie gently on a round edge of the crêpes. (The nearer edge to you.) Now turn the edge inner wards and roll the crêpe on the opposite direction. (far from you.)

* Roll until you reach the other edge. Press it gently with the spatula to give it a shape of a Frankie. Flip the Frankie and press gently again. Now your patishapta is done.

* Remove immediately. Follow the same with rest of the portions. Serve warm or cold; both ways patishapta will provide you immense pleasure.

* You can serve it with Nolen Gurer Payesh or rich Rabri.