Last Updated on January 31, 2018 by Babita

Manjal Irre dha Gatti is a classic Mangalorean cuisine. Manjal Irre means turmeric leaves. Gatti is sweet, steamed dumpling. It is also known as Patholi in Konkani and Patolya in Marathi. My mom used to make it during Diwali and I still remember the amazing aroma of the steaming turmeric leaves wafting through the kitchen. It is a rice-based recipe, which includes stuffing made of coconut and jaggery. As a kid I used to hate this treat. Now I want to eat it all the time.

As much as I wish I could make this often, it is difficult to do that. The main reason being that fresh turmeric leaves are not available here in the US, at least not in the Northeast.  The turmeric leaf is an important ingredient in this recipe. They are used to wrap the rice dumplings, which is discarded before eating. The turmeric leaf not only acts as a packet to hold the dumpling in place but also imparts a delightful aroma to the dumpling.

In my effort and obsession to make this Gatti, I decided to grow a turmeric plant. I bought some turmeric roots from our local Indian store and planted it last August. Since I planted it late, I had to keep it indoors during winter months. The plant survived but only flourished this summer when I kept it outdoors. As you can see below, the turmeric plant thrived in the hot, sunny and humid weather. So you see, It won’t be wrong if I say that this recipe took me a year to make.

 

 

There are different ways to make this Manjal Irre dha Gatti. I tried to do the easy way by using rice flour instead of whole rice (that process is more involved). I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Manjal Irre dha Gatti – Rice & Coconut dumplings Wrapped in Turmeric Leaf

Ingredients for Rice Dumpling

2 1/2 cups of rice flour
2 cups of hot water
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients for stuffing:

2 cups fresh grated coconut
1 cup broken or powdered jaggery (see picture at the bottom for reference)
1 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Other Ingredient:

6 to 8 long turmeric leaves

Preparations:

• Rinse the turmeric leaves under running water. Wipe them dry and set it aside.
• For the stuffing lightly roast coconut in a pan.
• Turn off the heat. Add jaggery, cardamom powder and mix this stuffing well.
• In a another mixing bowl add the rice flour and salt.
• Add water little bit at a time and mix it together to make a soft dough.
• Take a turmeric leaf and lay it flat on clean surface. Take a 2″ ball of rice dough and start spreading it in a thin layer over the leaf. You can take more dough if required. Dip your fingertips in water to help with the spreading.
• Place a spoonful of stuffing over the rice and spread it (see picture below for reference)
• Fold the leaf in half and seal it from all sides.
• In a rice cooker place these packets and steam it for around 20 minutes.
• Once done remove it from cooker and allow it to cool for couple of seconds.
• Serve it warm with the leaf.

The one thing I did enjoy as a child was unwrapping these dumplings. I cannot forget the memory of the fragrant aroma of the turmeric leaves. In fact I felt like Diwali had arrived early.

 

 

My girls loved unwrapping these. It was almost as if they were getting a present. ‘S’ improvised it by dipping it in maple syrup, which even though not necessary, enhanced the taste of the gatti.

 

 

Useful Suggestions:

• Jaggery also known as gur in Hindi. It is unrefined sugar that is made from boiling raw, concentrated sugar cane juice. It is used in place of sugar in many of the Indian recipes. You can even add it to your tea. The yellow color is its natural color which is achieved during the boiling process.
• The best place to buy jaggery is the Indian store. However, if you don’t have any Indian stores near you, hop over to Amazon (click below) and you will find them there.
• Surprisingly you can find turmeric root on Amazon too. Click here to check it out

 

 

Swad Indian Kolhapuri Jaggery – 4.4 PoundsLaxmi Jaggery Cube (Cane Sugar Cube)Organic Jaggery Powder 2 Lbs, USDA Organic – Organic Tattva

 

I would love to hear your thoughts about the Manjal Irre dha Gatti recipe. If you have any questions please feel free to post in the comments below.

 

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