Collards Patra

You will need a steamer. Either a bamboo or a metal steamer that fits into a wok or pot will work.

Select large leaves with minimal holes and tears. Some slight tears will be covered during rolling, but it’s best to minimize leakage of the yogurt mixture.

Do not use Greek yogurt here; it is too thick. In fact, if necessary you can thin the yogurt with a little cool water.

The assembly process will remind you of rolling up a burrito or a jelly roll cake. If the roll won’t hold its shape, tie it with two pieces of kitchen string. Remove the strings after steaming.

Tamarind paste (also called purée) is sold in grocery stores in the Asian and Indian aisles, or in international markets. Tamarind paste in jars should be a syrupy consistency.

To be on the safe side, I’ve given you amounts to make a bit more of the yogurt mixture than you need because leaf sizes will vary. It’s not likely you’ll need all of it. Avoid thickly coating the leaves just to use up the mixture; keep the layers thin. Thicker layers of the yogurt produce a cakier texture and the patra won’t be as crisp.

Patra are cooked twice. The rolls are first steamed to help the starch in the chickpea flour gelatinize and form a seal between the leaves. The steamed rolls are then lightly pan-fried until crispy.

The spices are usually added to the frying step, but I prefer to add them in stages. This prevents the spices from burning and turning bitter because the cooking times for the patra and the mustard seeds are significantly different.