Producer: Mehak Pal Editor: Aparna Singh
In the traditional Bengali cuisine paturi, fish, or vegetables are wrapped in different types of leaves and marinated in a mixture of spices, coconut, and mustard paste before being steamed or grilled.
Here are 5 different options of leaves for paturi.
1
Elephant ear leaves impart flavour to food as they have a unique taste and aroma. The marinated fish or vegetables are wrapped in the leaf and steamed in a shallow fry.
2
In the cooking process, the leaves impart all their flavour to the dish, with a light taste of grass and a soft, smoky smell.
3
The vegetable bottle gourd leaves are used in paturi to offer a light and natural flavour of green. Lau pata is mild and slightly bitter in taste and smooth textured.
4
This leaf has a mild flavour of bitterness with an earthy note, which is what makes the meal taste unique. The fish and vegetables are wrapped in leaves and then dressed with mustard-based paste, coconut, and spices.
5
The Alpina leaf carries a fragrance of Alpinia Calcarat. It offers a peppery and spicy taste amid the citrusy flavours.