Turmeric Leaves Recipe

Turmeric rhizome (roots) is considered to have many health benefits. Turmeric roots are an important spice around the world, and in India, it is an everyday ingredient in food preparation. Many people ask us if turmeric leaves can also be used in food preparation. There are many ways to use turmeric leaves! Check out this recipe to make Patholi Dumplings!

Patholi Dumpling 

Patholi is a steamed ‘dumpling’, they are delicious and fragrant due to the turmeric leaves. They are usually served as a dessert served after meals. 

To make patholis we need to prepare two things: rice batter and the inner, sweet coconut filling. 

Here’s how to make them: 

Serves: Makes 12-14 patholis. 

Preparation Time: 50 minutes 

Ingredients: 

• 10-12 Turmeric leaves 

For the batter: 

• 1 cup rice 
• Salt to taste 
• Jaggery to taste 
• 1/2 cup beaten rice 1/2 cup grated coconut 
• For the inner coconut filling (choorni): 
• 1/2 cup powdered or grated jaggery 1/2 cup grated fresh coconut 
• 1 cup broken puffed paddy (optional) A pinch of cardamom powder 

Preparing the batter: 

1. Soak rice for a minimum of half an hour and grind them in a mixer along with grated coconut, beaten rice, salt and jaggery into a smooth paste using just enough water needed to make a paste. Keep the ground, thick batter aside. Use as little water as possible while grinding the batter as we need a thick, dry batter. If your batter gets watery, it will flow off the turmeric leaves. The best thing to use to make a thick, dry batter, super quick is this. 
2. Wash the turmeric leaves carefully, drain all the water and wipe them dry using a cloth. Take care not to tear the turmeric leaves. Keep them aside. If the turmeric leaves are longer than the size of your steamer then chop off the stem portion of the leaf or else it’s a hassle while placing the patholis inside the steamer for steaming. 

Preparing the inner coconut filling 

1. In a bowl mix together freshly grated coconut, grated jaggery and cardamom powder. Mix them well. Then add broken puffed paddy to the mixture and mix well. The sweetness of the patholi depends on the amount of jaggery you have used while preparing the filling. So, add in jaggery according to your palate, depending on how sweet you would like your patholis to be. The inner filling can be prepared without broken puffed paddy but the mixture tends to get a little watery without them. Broken puffed paddy absorbs the moisture that’s given out when you mix grated coconut with jaggery. If you find whole puffed paddy then heat them for a minute until they get a little hot, powder them in a blender and then use 
2. On a clean working surface place a turmeric leaf and then place a small ladle of rice batter at one end of the leaf. Spread it across the length of the leaf using your fingers or a spoon. Leave out the edges of the leaf to avoid spilling out of the batter when you press them closed. The rice batter should be applied to as thin a layer as possible.
3. Place the inner filling mixture along the spine of the leaf, right in the center, in the middle of the leaf. Patholi’s sweetness also depends on the amount of filling (choorni) you place inside each patholi. So, if you want your patholis to be very sweet then place lots of filling (choorni) in the center of each leaf. 
4. Fold the leaf vertically into half, along the spine. Continue this process until all the leaves/rice batter is used up. 
5. Place a steaming vessel with sufficient water on a high flame. When the water comes to boil, place the patholis inside the steamer. You can stack them up or place them evenly so that all of them get steamed evenly. 
6. Cover and steam for 12-15 minutes on a high flame. 
7. Once cooked, remove the hot patholis out, peel off the turmeric leaves and serve hot patholis with lots of ghee on top and enjoy!