Patoli Recipe | Patoleo (Steamed Rice Rolls)

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Patoli (plural: Patoleo) or Patholi are sweet stuffed rice rolls which are steamed wrapped in turmeric leaves. It is a common dish during Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Goa and Konkan regions of western India. Since there’s a unique technique involved in this recipe, the preparation and cooking of this dish is laborious. However, the ingredients used in it are simple and basic. It is vegan and since rice flour is the main ingredient, the dish is gluten-free too.

patoli served on a fresh turmeric leaf with a hibiscus flower kept on the top end.

What is Patoli

Rice rolls stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery, and then steamed result in the dish named Patoli or Patoleo. The stuffing mixture may be flavored with spices like cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and dry fruits or nuts.

What makes Patoli extra special is the fact that method of cooking involves steaming these rice rolls in fresh turmeric leaves. July to September are the months when the markets in Goa and the Konkan belt of India are abundant with fresh turmeric leaves.

When the Patoli rolls are steamed in these leaves, they acquire their beautiful sweet and floral fragrance, making this dish all the more desirable and delectable. Patoleo are usually made in Gauri and Ganesha festivals in this region.

fresh turmeric leaves for patoli.

The Christian community uses a smearing of rice paste on the turmeric leaves, and cook the Patoli in a traditional steamer during their harvest festival.

Some of the sweets and desserts in the Indian food repertoire are loaded with fats and sugar. Patoli is a welcome change!

Thin and soft steamed rice covers stuffed with a heavenly coconut and melted jaggery mixture infused with the scent of spices and turmeric leaves.

About This Recipe

My mom too makes Patoli and this is her recipe only. She uses a non-fermented batter which she makes from scratch by soaking and grinding rice.

I have taken the easy route by making this dish with fine rice flour. Patoli tastes similar to a Modak except for the scent from the turmeric leaves.

There are a few variations of this delish sweet in the Indian cuisine. A similar variant Ela Ada is made in Kerala with plantain leaves instead of turmeric leaves.

In Odisha another variation called Enduri Pitha is made with an outer layer of fermented urad dal and rice batter stuffed with a sweetened paneer filling, steamed in turmeric leaves.

As I mentioned earlier, the fresh turmeric leaves used to steam these sweet rice rolls makes all the difference. This is definitely the USP of Patoli.

patoli served on a fresh turmeric leaf and fresh turmeric leaves

You’ll know this while steaming these delicacies, as your kitchen will be filled with the divine aroma from these. If you can’t source turmeric leaves, steam the Patoleo in banana leaves.

Turmeric leaves are used to bring flavor and a lovely fragrance to any dish. So they are used to steam food or added to rice and sweet dishes. On occasions I also make Idli that are steamed in these fragrant leaves.

patoleo served on a fresh turmeric leaf with a hibiscus flower kept on the top end.

The procedure of preparing a Patoli takes a lot of patience and efforts. But eventually, you’ll find it all worth. What I also like about this delicacy is that it is vegan, gluten-free, oil free and a healthier choice of a sweet dish.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Patoli

Prepare Batter

1. In a pan or bowl, mix 2 cups rice flour and ½ teaspoon salt with about 1.5 to 2 cups water to make a thick batter. The batter should be thicker than a Dosa Batter.

It should not be runny when spread on the leaves. Depending on the quality of rice flour, you can add less or more water than what I have added in the recipe.

preparing batter.

Make Sweet Filling

2. Mix 2 cups fresh grated coconut, 1.5 to 2 cups powdered jaggery, 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder and 1 to 2 pinches grated nutmeg in a plate or bowl.

Note that I have used fine jaggery powder. If you chop jaggery, then cook it with the coconut and cardamom powder for 2 to 3 minutes on medium heat.

mixing fresh grated coconut, powdered jaggery, cardamom powder and grated nutmeg to make the sweet filling.

Make Patoli

3. Now, rinse 8 to 10 large or 18 to 20 small turmeric leaves. Wipe them dry. Slice the stalks from the leaves.

Take each leaf and smash lightly the middle vein of each leaf with a pestle. This helps in rolling the leaves easily. You can also scrape off the thick center vein with a knife.

preparing the turmeric leaves for making patoli.

4. Spread the rice batter on the leaf. Cover the complete leaf.

rice batter spread on the turmeric leaf.

5. Place the coconut-jaggery filling in the center of the leaf.

sweet filling added at the center of the turmeric leaf to make patoleo.

6. Fold one side down and press the edges. You can fold the leaves vertically or horizontally.

turmeric leaf folded down on one side.

7. Since I had long leaves, I had cut the leaves into 2 or 3 parts. If you have small leaves, you can keep them whole and intact.

stuffed turmeric leaves to make patoleo.

Steam Patoleo

8. Place the stuffed leaves on an idli steamer rack or any steamer lid or rack.

prepared stuffed turmeric leaves placed on an idli steamer rack.

9. Steam these for about 10 to 12 minutes or till done. Remove once steamed.

You can use either the pressure cooker or idli cooker for steaming. If you have a small steamer, you will have to repeat the whole process. Add about 1.5 to 2 cups of water while steaming.

steamed patoleo.

10. When warm, gently remove the turmeric leaves from the steamed rolls and serve immediately. Patoli can be had plain or with drizzled with some ghee or with a side of coconut milk or milk.

patoleo served on a white plate.

My Loss, Your Gain

One day while making the Patoli, I got a call from someone and I had to step out of my home because of the urgency. I had kept some Patoleo for steaming and told my sister to keep a check on that batch till I returned. My sister did prepare the remaining rolls, but stacked them one above the other.

Due to the steam, all the Patoli rolls stuck to each other. It was super difficult to separate them and we had a tough time to take out a few intact ones, which I could use for photography. It was already late and dark amidst this mayhem. So, I had to manage with some not so good-looking shots!

I hope you learn from this episode that you must not keep freshly steamed Patoli rolls stacked on top of each other, ever! But do go ahead and make this dish at home. Your family’s going to thank you for it. This is my assurance!

Expert Tips

  1. Adjusting Batter Consistency: More rice flour can be added in case the batter becomes thin. Some more water can be added in case the batter is very thick.
  2. Jaggery Amounts: As per your taste and palate preferences, you can adjust the sweetness in the filling by adding less or more jaggery.
  3. Turmeric Leaf Replacement: You can swap the banana leaves with turmeric leaves, if you wish.
  4. Scalability: The recipe is scalable to make a small portion or more servings.

More Ganesh Chaturthi Recipes To Try!

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Patoli Recipe | Patoleo (Steamed Rice Rolls)

Patholi are steamed rice rolls which are stuffed with fresh coconut and jaggery mixture. The outer layer is made with rice batter and the sweet filling is made with coconut, jaggery and optional flavorings or nuts.
4.50 from 2 votes
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Cuisine Maharashtrian
Course Sweets
Diet Gluten Free, Vegan
Difficulty Level Moderate
Servings 18 Patoleo
Units

Ingredients

For the batter

  • 8 to 10 turmeric leaves – large or 18 to 20 small leaves
  • 2 cups Rice Flour – finer variety
  • ½ teaspoon salt or as required
  • 1.5 to 2 cups water – add more if required

For the sweet filling

  • 2 cups fresh grated coconut
  • 1.5 to 2 cups jaggery powder – adjust according to your taste
  • 1 teaspoon green cardamom powder
  • 1 to 2 pinches grated nutmeg
  • choice of nuts – optional

Instructions
 

Preparing the batter

  • Mix the rice flour, salt and water to a thick batter
  • Keep aside for 30 minutes.

Preparing the filling

  • Mix all the ingredients for the filling and set aside to make a thick batter.

Making patoli

  • Take the turmeric leaves and rinse them in water first a few times. Drain the water.
  • Wipe each leaf dry with a kitchen towel. Make sure there are no water droplets on the leaves.
  • Smash lightly the middle vein of the leaf with a pestle or just slice it thinly with a knife without breaking the leaf.
  • Cut the base stalk of the leaf.
  • Spread the rice flour batter evenly on the leaf.
  • Add the filling in the center of the leaf.
  • Now fold the leaf gently horizontally or vertically.
  • Press the edges.
  • Steam the patholi on medium heat for about 10 to 12 minutes or till the rice layer has firmed and cooked well.
  • When warm, remove the cooked turmeric leaves.
  • And serve Patoli with some coconut milk or milk or ghee.
  • These can also be had as is.

Notes

  • Use good quality rice flour and make sure it is not rancid.
  • Adjust the amount of jaggery according to your preferences. 
  • Feel free to add some chopped nuts like cashews if you like. 
  • The batter should have a thick to medium-thick consistency. Ensure that it is neither too thick nor thin and runny.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Patoli Recipe | Patoleo (Steamed Rice Rolls)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 168 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Fat 3g5%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.2g
Sodium 67mg3%
Potassium 47mg1%
Carbohydrates 33g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 17g19%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 0.1IU0%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.03mg2%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.01mg1%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 1mg5%
Vitamin B6 0.1mg5%
Vitamin C 0.3mg0%
Vitamin E 0.04mg0%
Vitamin K 0.02µg0%
Calcium 10mg1%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 3µg1%
Iron 0.4mg2%
Magnesium 10mg3%
Phosphorus 28mg3%
Zinc 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This Patoli Recipe from the archives was first published in September 2012. It has been updated and republished in February 2024.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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39 Comments

  1. Hi, Dasana Amit n Amit,
    Can you guide me, how to go to Modak recipe directly, I means without searching in sweet section, direct to the modak recipe page,
    Thanks to awesome couple,
    Siris.

  2. Hi Dassana,

    I tried your stuffed brinjal and patholi. Both were awesome.

    As regards, patholi, the jaggery which I brought from the store was good but I had to put it on the gas along with the coconut to get a smooth filling. The jaggery had to melt and then only I could put in the filling on the leaf.

    Otherwise, everything was nice.

    Vanessa

    1. thanks vanessa. depends upon the quality and texture of jaggery. but what you have done is perfectly ok. i do the same thing when i make modaks.

  3. Hi !.We love patholis.I too make it often.Since I from South Canara, my recipe is slightly different.I soak rice and grind it with coconut and some soaked poha and a small piece of jaggery.The stuffing is the same as yours.The patholis cme out extremely soft.Try it sometime.

    1. hi shubha. next time i am going your method for making the patholi. with the addition of poha, i am sure it will be soft.

  4. looks yummy wish I can get turmeric leaves here.. is there any alternative which can be used!