Patoleo : the August 15th Goan Sweet

Patolleo or Patoleo, pronounced at pathayo, is a Goan sweet prepared for the feast of the Assumption of Mary. The time when the first corn is offered for a good harvesting season. Lets learn how to make the Patoleo!

Patolleo Ingredients:

1/4 kg Goa red rice, or boiled rice (big fat unpolished rice)
1/2 a Coconut grated
1 Teaspoon salt
2 Pyramids Goa Jaggery
6 Cardamoms
Turmeric Leaves also known as Haldi Ka Patta
3/4th Cup Water

First we need to add the coconut to the jaggery and set it on a slow fire.

Add the 3/4th cup of water to the coconut and jaggery and stir it occasionally.

While thats on the fire, you can wash and clean the turmeric leaves.


Wash the rice and put it in the blender with a little water.


Once its ground to a paste pour it out into a vessel and get ready to keep it aside.

Don't forget to occasionally stir the jaggery and coconut mix :)

Now add the salt to the rice and put it on a slow fire.

While thats getting down clean the cardamom by removing the insides and getting rid of the outer covering.

Crush the cleaned cardamom into a powder, as fine as you can manage to.

Add the cardamom to the coconut and jaggery mix, that will end up being the filling for the Patolleo.

Mix the cardamom evenly in the coconut jaggery by stirring it up.

In the meantime your rice should be nearly done, when it thickens enough and begins to leave the side you'll know its ready.

Once its done allow it to cool off a bit, and then knead the rice dough.

This is my 92 year old grandmother teaching you to make a patolleo, take a small ball of the dough.

Line it along the main vein of the leaf and flatten it towards the sides.

The thinner the rice the better, the more the stuffing the yummier :) Stuff the patolleo with the jaggery and coconut mix and then fold the leaf as shown.


Once all patolleos are sealed you reach the final step, time to turn up the steam.

Ge out your steamer, that may look something like this, fill it up with water.

Place your Patolleos in the steamer, as much as you can get in there, theres no problem if one is on top of the other.

The Patoleos have to be cooked for around twenty minutes in the steamer before they are done.

This is what comes out of the steamer after twenty minutes.

The leaves give the rice a lovely flavor and the jaggery with coconut makes the patoleo sweet and wholesome, can also be made as a tea time snack :)

Here's another Goan sweet that we hope you enjoy making!