Name: Jain Turiya Patra Nu Shaak
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 100 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 200 g Ridge Gourd, turiya/turai, peeled and cut into medium cubes; 2 Colocasia Leaves, arbi ke patte, medium-sized, veins removed; ½ cup Gram Flour, besan (for Patra paste); 1 Tomato, pureed or finely chopped; 1½ Green Chili Pepper, finely chopped, divided (for Patra and gravy); ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds; ¼ tsp Asafoetida, hing, divided; ½ tsp Ground Turmeric, divided; 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder, divided; 1¼ tsp Ground Coriander-Cumin Blend, dhana jeera powder, divided; ½ tsp Garam Masala, divided; 1 tbsp Jaggery, gud, grated and divided; ½ tbsp Tamarind Paste, imli paste (for Patra); ½ tbsp Lemon Juice; 1½ tbsp Peanut Oil, divided (for Patra paste and gravy); 1 tsp Salt, divided, to taste; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

1 hr 40 mintotal

1 hr 10 min hands-on30 min hands-off

Prep 30 min · Cook 40 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

Add to your week

Method

Make the Patra Paste: In a bowl, mix besan, a portion of the green chillies, hing, turmeric, red chilli powder, dhana jeera powder, garam masala, a portion of the jaggery, tamarind paste, a portion of the oil, and a portion of the salt. Add a little water to make a thick, spreadable paste.
Place the largest colocasia leaf face down on a flat surface. Spread a thin layer of the besan paste evenly over the entire leaf. Place another leaf on top and repeat until the leaves are stacked and pasted.
Fold the side edges inwards, then roll the stacked leaves tightly from the bottom up into a cylindrical log. Steam this roll for 15-20 minutes until the besan is cooked and firm. Let it cool completely, then cut into 1/2-inch thick slices (Patra). Set aside.
15–20 min
Make the Shaak: Heat the remaining oil in a heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds and the remaining hing.
Add the remaining chopped green chillies and tomato puree. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes soften and oil separates from the edges.
3–4 min
Lower the heat. Add the remaining turmeric, red chilli powder, dhana jeera powder, and salt. Mix well to create a rich masala base.
Add the cubed ridge gourd (turiya). Stir to coat it in the masala.
Cover the pan and simmer on low heat for 10-12 minutes. Turiya releases a lot of water, so do not add extra water initially. Cook until the gourd is tender.
10–12 min
Once the turiya is almost cooked, gently place the sliced Patra pieces into the pan. (The Patra is already steamed, so it just needs to absorb the gravy).
Add the remaining jaggery and remaining garam masala. Gently stir the shaak so the Patra doesn't break.
Cover and simmer for 3-4 more minutes until the Patra swells slightly with the flavorful juices.
Turn off the heat. Drizzle lemon juice, garnish with fresh coriander, and serve hot.

How to tell it's done

Spongy, heavily spiced pinwheels of colocasia leaves contrasting beautifully with soft, watery bites of ridge gourd in a sweet-and-sour gravy.

Getting it right

Tip

Patra is sweet, spicy, and tangy on its own. Adding it at the very end ensures it flavors the gravy without dissolving into a messy paste. Always use tamarind in Patra to counteract the itchy sensation some colocasia leaves have.

What to serve it with

A premium delicacy often served at Gujarati weddings and formal feasts. Best enjoyed with hot Puris and Aamras.

Lauki Kofta

Lauki kofta fries grated bottle gourd dumplings and simmers them in a spiced gravy.

1 hr 10 minvegetarian

Lauki Palak

Lauki palak cooks bottle gourd with spinach, the gourd softening into the greens as it goes.

30 minvegan

Lauki Tamatar Ki Sabzi

Lauki tamatar ki sabzi cooks bottle gourd with tomato until the gourd softens into a light gravy.

30 minvegan

Lobia Aloo Curry

Lobia aloo curry cooks black-eyed peas with potato in an onion and tomato gravy.

6 hr 40 minvegan

Maharashtrian Batata Rassa

Batata rassa is a thin Maharashtrian potato curry, red with chilli and eaten with bhakri.

40 minvegan

Maharashtrian Chawli Chi Bhaji

Chawli chi bhaji cooks cowpeas with onion and garlic into a thin Maharashtrian curry.

6 hr 45 minvegan

Ingredients