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According to Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD, Patra is a popular Gujarati vegetarian snack or ingredient used in main or side dishes. It is a rolled, filled menu item that resembles a green and gold pinwheel when sliced. Patra is also known as pathrode, and the leaves are sometimes called aloo or even elephant ears. The taro leaf is the traditional wrapper; however, spinach or collard leaves can be substituted when making your own patra.

There are many different ways to prepare patra, just like any beloved traditional dish. Patra is rolled up with tamarind paste and a variety of spices, steamed to solidify the filling, and then sliced and fried.

Besan is usually the main ingredient in the filling or paste for patra. Besan is garbanzo bean flour, also called gram flour. It is not a finely ground flour, and the grittiness actually adds texture to recipes in which it is used. Besan can be found in Indian markets and online, but it is easy to make your own. Simply lightly toast cooked garbanzo beans in a hot oven until they are crispy. Grind the crispy garbanzos in a food processor or by hand with a mortar and pestle.

Nowadays, many households cut to the chase and purchase canned or frozen patra, which can be micro-waved or quickly fried. If you are looking for canned or frozen patra, you might also search for alu wadi, which is patra in the Marathi dialect. Canned or frozen patra are usually sliced before packaging. When you open the package, you will see swirls of dark green and gold. You can microwave, steam, or fast-fry canned or frozen patra, depending on your time and your needs. Patra have a wonderful fragrance of spices, including ginger, chili, and garlic. In addition, if rolled correctly, the leaves and filling form a delightfully chewy, almost meat-like texture.

Recipes using patra can be found here: https://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2008issue4/2008_issue4_patra_issue.php

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