This Janmashtami, Have Patraali!

India’s diversity has been celebrity across the world with the same vigour as it is celebrated in India. Particularly, Indian festivals have brought people together for a long time. One of the most popular festivals is Janmashtami. Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami is an annual festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna- the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The annual date is decided in accordance with the Hindu lunisolar calendar. The festival is held in very high regard in Vaishnavism and Hinduism.

The day is celebrated in many ways following various traditions. This includes Chhappan bhog, fasting, dance, music and jagrans! According to the lore, a special dish was created for Little Kanha to introduce him to different foods and textures. The dish is known as Patraali and is a vegetable-based delicacy. It also consists of fruits, dry fruits, nuts and all things good. The vegetables were cleaned thoroughly and chopped finely so Baby Krishna could eat them and hence the dish took ages to prepare!

Here is a Patraali recipe that does justice to this complicated dish! Patraali is served with muthia, a condiment made from wheat.

 

First, let us see the ingredients-

For Muthia

• 3 teaspoons - Thick Wheat Flour
• 2 teaspoons - Besan
• - Salt, To Taste
• pinch of Turmeric Powder
• pinch of  Garam Masala
• 1 teaspoon - Sugar
• 2 teaspoon - Coriander Chutney
• 2 teaspoon - Oil
• 1 cup of  Fenugreek Leaves
• 2 teaspoons - Curd

For Sabzi

• 250 grams - Patrali Sabzi
• 1 Bayleaf
• 1 - Dry Red Chili
• 1/2 teaspoon - Mustard Seeds
• pinch of Turmeric Powder
• - Water, As Required
• - Salt, To Taste
• 1 cup - Patra
• 1/2 cup - Coriander Mint Chutney
• - Water, As Required
• 4 tablespoons - Oil

Patraali Bhaji

• Greens: Finely chopped palak, methi, cheel, morad
• Other Vegetables: Finely chopped parval, tinda, bhindi, doodhi, beet root, cucumber,
• potatoes, yam, cauliflower, cabbage, beans, mogri and radish
• Pulses: gram, masoor, arhar
• Fruits: apples, raw banana, oranges, sweet lime and pomegranate.
• Chopped nuts: walnuts, almonds, cashew, raisins, figs and pistachio.

Directions:

• Mix all the dry ingredients of muthia in a bowl.
• Add the wet ingredients and form a dough 
• Form any shape and fry in ghee or oil
• For Patraali bhaji, saute all the chopped vegetables in a pan with ghee. 
• Put it pulses and add water. 
• Boil for 20 minutes and top with nuts
• In a pan, heat oil and put bay leaf, dry chilli, mustard, turmeric, patraali bhaji, salt and water and cook for 15 minutes.
• Add muthia and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve while hot!