PATISHAPTA (COCONUT FILLED CREPES)

These sweet, coconut filled crepes brings back a lot of memories. When we were some 5-6 years old, most of our mothers did not have gas ovens in their kitchens to enjoy a little bit of comfort. Yet they were far more active and energetic than we are. All day long till the night she would happily lock herself in the kitchen, sweating and conforming to our demands without a complain. These days I  feel guilty when I remember how back from school and college I demanded exotic platters one after another without even thinking how difficult it was for her to work on a clay oven even on evenings. Today I love puffed rice but then one day if she asked me eat muri instead of roti-paratha-luchi, I would get off.

I remember, may be around 1984-85, our kitchen was for the first time shining with a gas oven. Can I ever forget the glittering smile on our mother's face to get a faster medium of cooking? Never. I have always taken a pride to admit I come from a middle class, humble background and I will never compromise with the middle class values taught by my parents. I firmly believe if I forget my roots, I reach nowhere. I may be going offtrack, this is what happens these days. The quiet little girl who remained unnoticed most of the time, is talking too much, signs of aging you know.

The above lines are not irrelevant  altogether when I say these coconut filled crepes tasted best when prepared in clay ovens. It was a day long process....from soaking the rice....grinding it to flour...scraping the coconut, mixing it with the right amount of jaggery. This was mainly prepared during the winter season. Lets start with the recipe which is a tribute to all the elderly women in the family for whom I could dare to prepare it today.

INGREDIENTS :(for the filling)

Shredded Coconut : 300 gm
Jaggery : 100 gm
Camphor : 1small tablet or Green Cardamom Powder : 1/2 tsp
Water : 1 coffee cup.

INGREDIENTS :(for the pancakes)

Refined Flour : 1 coffee mug
Semolina : 1/2 coffee mug
Rice Flour : 2 tbsp
Sugar : 1/2 tea cup 
Oil : 2 tblsp
Water as required [You can use milk instead]

METHOD:

Let us prepare the jaggery-coconut stuffing / filling at first.

Put a wok atop the gas oven. Pour 1/2 small tea cup of water. Add the jaggery. Let it melt. When it starts boiling keep stirring. As it becomes sticky, add the the shredded coconut and camphor tablet, alternatively the green cardamom powder. As the mixture gets sticky, switch of the gas oven. The filling is ready.

Let us prepare the batter for the crepes now.

In a wide mouthed big bowl, take the refined flour, rice flour, semolina, sugar. Mix well. Add water to that much quantity which makes the batter neither creamy, nor too running, but just in between. Keep at rest for an hour. Thereafter, add 1/2 tsp oil to the batter and mix well. Make sure there is no lump in the batter. Adding oil helps the crepes to come out well. Keep standing for 1 hour.

Heat a nonstick frying pan. Brush a little of oil. Once the oil is heated, wipe the pan lightly with a wet cotton cloth. Now pour in one round ladle full of batter in the pan and immediately spread it in round shape with the help of the back of a ladle. When it is almost done, add 2 tablespoon of coconut jaggery filling at one end of the crepes. Now fold in from one side to the other.

Please note, you need not add oil before making each one. You add oil once in every 4-5 crepes you prepare. I always use a non-stick frying pan to avoid it from getting stuck to the pan admitting I do not have the expertise of our moms and grand moms.

Enjoy warm or chilled!