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Patra recipe is also called Gujarati patra or Maharashtrian alu vadi. If you have a Gujju friend or a gujju colleague, you would have definitely heard of patra or would have known their love for this supremely delicious dish! You can also easily make it at home by simply following the patra recipe we have got for you!!
Colcocasia leaves are very nutritious as well as tasty, especially if made into patras – a smooth paste of besan with spicy, sweet and sour flavours is applied over the leaves, rolled and steamed. This requires skill and practice; however, it is easy once you start doing it.
Patras make an amazing side dish with the meal. My mother would make this for evening snack or as an accompaniment with the meal. Sometimes, when colacassia leaves would not be available, she would use big and long spinach leaves to prepare patra.
You can also make mini patras by using small leaves to make small rolls. Some people like it plain piping hot from the steamer without tempering while some prefer it with the tempering.
Tasty as the cooked Gujarati patra option might be, the best way to have patras is fried! deep fry the cooked patras till crisp and have them with tea or sweet and sour chutney.
Is Gujarati Patra healthy?
Yes, its healthy. But restrictions apply to some.
Let's understand the ingredients of Gujarati Patra
What's good in Gujarati Patra.
Colocasia leaves (arbi ke patte, taro leaves) : Colocasia leaves are a very good source of vitamin A – an important vitamin which helps in vision. This impressive benefits of taro leaves comes from vitamin C – a nutrient which is important to build your WBC (white blood cells) and thus immunity. The fiber (1.3 g / cup) in taro leaves helps to reduce the cholesterol levels in the body, while the potassium will help to maintain normal blood pressure. The low calorie count of colocasia leaves makes it a wise choice for weight watchers and diabetics.
Besan : Besan has more good fat than whole wheat flour and also higher protein content. Rich in complex carbohydrates and with a low glycemic index, besan is good for diabetics too. Besan is high in Folate or folic acid, which is important for rapid growth and multiplication of red blood cells and white blood cells (WBC) in the bone marrow. See 10 detailed benefits of besan and why it's good for you.
Sesame Seeds (Til) : These tiny white seeds are indeed a good source of protein. Half of daily requirement of calcium is fulfilled by consuming ½ cup of sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are a storehouse of iron, folic acid and help to prevent iron deficiency anaemia and boost your energy. The lignans, a type of polyphenol, present in seed does wonders to naturally reduce cholesterol levels. See detailed benefits of sesame seeds.
Mustard Seeds: Tiny little mustard seeds, mostly added as a tempering, lend an interesting bite, exotic flavour and tempting aroma to Indian foods. Mustard seeds are from the mustard plant, which is a cruciferous vegetable related to broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage.
Hing ( Asafoetida) : The active compound 'coumarin' helps in managing blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Asafoetida is known to have anti-bacterial properties, which helps to keep asthma at bay. Asafoetida is an age-old remedy for bloating and other stomach problems like flatulence. The best solution is to gulp down little hing with water or dissolve it in water and sip it. It can also be used along with curd or almond oil as a hair mask. It helps to prevent dryness of hair and smoothen as well as strengthen hair.
Ginger (Adrak) : Ginger is an effective cure for congestion, sore throat, cold and cough. It aids digestion and relieves constipation. Ginger was found as effective as drugs in relieving menstrual pain. Ginger is effective in decreasing the cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol. Ginger significantly reduces symptoms of nausea in pregnant ladies. See here for 16 Super Health Benefits of Adrak, Ginger.
Green Chillies : Antioxidant vitamin C in green chillies protects the body from effects of harmful free radicals and prevents stress. It is probably the high fiber which helps in controlling blood sugar levels. This it is a welcome addition to a diabetic diet. Suffering from anaemia? Add green chillies to your list of iron rich foods too. For complete details see benefits of green chilli.
Red chilli powder : Red chilli powder can set the taste buds on fire, and sometimes the tummy too! It is basically a spice blend consisting of one or two types of dried red chillies that are ground and pulverized into a fine powder. It is generally used to add spice to otherwise bland foods.
Imli (Tamarind) : Tamarind is good for heart due to the fibre present which has a cholesterol lowering effect. It is also good for diabetics. But too much tamarind is bad for health.
Coconut : The fresh coconut has saturated fats but most of it is MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) which promote weight loss. The high fibre content 13.6 gm (45.3% of RDA) along with high lauric acid content of coconut improves cholesterol levels in the body. Improving the action of insulin secretion and lowering the raised blood sugar levels is yet another benefit of coconut for Diabetics. See here for 10 amazing benefits of coconut.
Coriander (kothmir, dhania): Coriander is a fresh herb often used as a flavour enhancer in Indian cooking. It is mainly used as a garnish. This is the best way to use it - no cooking. This preserves its vitamin C content which helps to build our immunity and bring that sparkle to the skin. The antioxidants vitamin A, vitamin C and the quercetin present in coriander works towards strengthening our immune system. Coriander is a fairly good source of iron and folate – the 2 nutrient which help in the production and maintenance of red blood cells in our blood. Good for reducing cholesterol and good for diabetics. Read 9 benefits of coriander to understand details.
What's problem in Gujarati Patra.
Jaggery (Gur) : When compared to sugar, which provides only empty calories, jaggery is considered to be a superior natural sweetener. Sugar is definitely one of the causes of many chronic diseases, but jaggery too needs to be consumed in moderate amounts. What you would consume is just about a tbsp (18 g) or a tsp (6 g). While those with heart diseases and weight loss can have a dessert made with this quantity of jaggery occasionally as an option to refined sugar, but diabetics need to avoid this sweetener too as it can spike blood sugar levels instantly. Read is jaggery healthy for complete details.
Vegetable Oils : To some vegetable oil is only soyabean oil, while some promote it as a mix of oils like soyabean, canola, sunflower, corn and other omega-6 rich oils. These are often cheaper options than many oils, but they are highly processed oils. They are undoubtedly not to be reached out for, whether you are looking for salad dressings, sautéing or cooking. The 5 best oils used in cooking are olive oil (low temperature short time cooking), avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil and peanut oil. You must read the super article to find the facts of which oil is the healthiest avoid vegetable oil.
Note : 1 cup = 200 ml (standard cup available in the market). The weight in grams varies for each ingredient.
Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Gujarati Patra?
No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. Jaggery needs to be consumed in moderate amounts. What you would consume is just about a tbsp (18 g) or a tsp (6 g). While those with heart diseases and weight loss can have a dessert made with this quantity of jaggery occasionally as an option to refined sugar, but diabetics need to avoid this sweetener too as it can spike blood sugar levels instantly. Ample amount of oils is used in this recipe, which Oil are highly processed.
Can healthy individuals have Gujarati Patra?
Yes, they can. But quantity restriction should be maintain because high amount oil and Jaggery is used for this Gujarati Patra recipe.
Here are some Healthy Indian snack options.
You can have Baked Samosa with mixed sprouts, Matarsutir Kachori, Oats Moong Dal Tikki, Baked methi muthia recipe, Zunka recipe, moong dal dhokla recipe, bajra carrot onion uttapam recipe , baked palak jowar murukku, mini jowar pancakes, oats upma, baked sev , baked whole wheat puris, paneer pudina tikki or buckwheat pancake as one healthy recipe option.
Baked Methi Muthias
8 Pointers to get healthy on a Indian diet.
1. Eat healthy and say yes to good home cooked food. Prefer whole grains like oatmeal, quinoa, buckwheat, barley and healthy flours like bajra flour, jowar flour, quinoa flour, wheat flour etc. rather than refined ones like maida. Have healthy Indian fats like ghee, coconut, coconut oil in your diet.
2. Opt out of junk food, packaged food, deep fried foods. Prefer steamed snacks and other non-fried snacks. Check out some Healthy Indian Snacks. Remember to eat small frequent meals through the day as that will keep you always full and prevent your blood sugar from dropping. By starving your body through some diet, will not help you one bit. In fact, dieting will make you binge on 2 to 3 meals which is not good.
Skip having Indian junk foods like pav bhaji, bata vada, pakoras, gulab jamun as they cause your body to have insulance resistance. The resultant is your body will store more carbohydrates as fats, causing storage of fat in the stomach causing a paunch and slowing down of our fat burning process. So its a bad cyle which causes you more more hunger and fatigue every time you eat junk food.
3. Have 4 to 5 servings of vegetables and 2 to 3 servings of fruit is a must. Follow the logic of a vegetable in each main meal of the day and a fruit in-between meals. Check out a few Healthy Indian Soups and Healthy Indian Salads recipes using this food group.
4. Cut down on sugar and salt in your diet and pick honey ( very small amounts) or dates to sweeten your food. Slowly cut the sugar habit as this is not going to happen over night. Sugar is also called white poison. It is a simple carbohydrate with zero nutritional value. On intake, sugar will cause inflammation of the body which will last for many hours. It will spike your blood sugar level and shut down the fat burning process. This also causes high blood sugar levels in your body. The development of prediabetes comes from uncontrolled eating sugar and refined food products for many years and the classic symptom is if you have excess belly fat. This leads to diabetes and further onwards to heart attack, high blood pressure, strokes, impotence and kidney damage.
Salt and blood pressure. Apart from stress and obesity, one of the main reasons for high blood pressure is excessive sodium and salt intake. Most people find it difficult to limit the amount of salt in their cooking, thinking it will affect the taste of their favourite dishes.
This is not true. Bajra and jowar are rich in potassium and critical for those with High Blood Pressure as it lessens the impact of sodium. Eating more Potassium Rich Foods will remove more sodium from your body through urine. So include the basic bajra roti and jowar roti in your daily diet to have with Lower Blood Pressure Subzis Recipes.
5. Befriend a few healthy seeds and nuts like chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, walnuts and almonds. Stress. The easiest way to kill your immune system is chronic stress.
6. Sprouts are called ‘living food’. They are high is most nutrients and easy to digest as well. Let them feature in your meals at least thrice a week. Also Read : All Benefits about Sprouts.
7. Exercise 45 minutes every day. No excuse. You can walk fast, run, do weights, play your favourite sport or go to the gym. No activity reduces muscle tissue which will lead to muscke loss and all kinds of problems with that. Workout builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away.
8. Sleep early and get up early. Get your body into rhythm and it will function best. Sleep helps your body to recover and makes you look much younger. Also getting good sleep prevent muscle loss, builds immunity and keeps virus or bugs away.
Gujarati Patra is high in
1. Protein : Protein is required for the managing the wear and tear of all cells of the body.
2. Folic Acid : Folic acid is an essential vitamin required throughout pregnancy.
3. Vitamin C : Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.
4. Calcium : Calcium is a mineral that makes bones stay strong. Required from kids to adults.
5. Magnesium : Magnesium is required for formation of bones and teeth. It helps in the metabolism of calcium and potassium.
6. Phosphorous : Phosphorous works closely with calcium to build bones.
7. Vitamin B3 (niacin) : Vitamin B3 helps in brain functioning and mental health. Also healthy skin formation.
8. Vitamin B1 : Vitamin B1 protects nerves, helps in carbohydrate metabolism, prevents heart diseases and helps produce red blood cells.
9. Vitamin A : Vitamin A is crucial for healthy vision, cell growth and healthy skin.
10. Fiber : Dietary fiber reduce the risk of heart disease, prevent the spike in blood sugar levels and hence super for diabetics. Consume more fruits, vegetables, moong, oats, matki, whole grains.
11. Iron : Iron is essential in the chemical reactions that produce energy from foods. Eat more greens and garden cress seeds to prevent you from being anaemic. Here are the top 7 sources of iron rich foods.
12. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) : Vitamin B2 enables the production of red blood cells that contribute to the rise in your energy levels. So have more milk, curds, eggs and green leafy vegetables.
Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
How to burn 604 calories that come from one serving of Gujarati Patra?
Walking (6 kmph) = 3 hours 1 min
Running (11 kmph = 1 hour
Cycling (30 kmph) = 1 hour 21 mins
Swimming (2 kmph) = 1 hour 44 mins
Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual