SHEEM PALONG PATURI WRAPPED WITH RICE

(BROAD BEANS AND SPINACH WITH RICE WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAVES)

The typically Bengali vegetarian dish of broad beans and spinach gets an exotic Japanese touch with a rice-roll wrapping. The element of gastronomic surprise comes from making the familiar unfamiliar.

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Serves: 8 pieces

200 gm broad beans

½ tsp green chilli paste

100 gm spinach

1 pinch turmeric powder

50 ml mustard oil

½ tsp ginger paste

200 gm cooked rice

¼ tsp garlic paste

1/5 tsp nigella seeds

20 leaves of spinach

Salt to taste

Aluminium foil

1.	Wash the broad beans and string. Cut into small pieces.
2.	Steam it with 2 pinches of salt and a pinch of turmeric powder for 10 minutes. Remove.
3.	Cut, clean, and wash the spinach.
4.	Blanch the spinach for 15 seconds. Drain, cool, and chop.
5.	Heat mustard oil in a pan. When the oil heats up, add the Nigella seeds, ginger, and garlic paste. Stir well.
6.	Add the steamed sheem and spinach. Add chilli paste and check the seasonings. Cook till the moisture dries out and then remove.
7.	Place the aluminium foil on a work table and grease it with butter. Cover the aluminium foil measuring (8’ x 4’) with a bed of spinach leaves.
8.	Spread the cooked rice evenly on the spinach leaves and press lightly so that the rice sticks to the spinach.
9.	Place the cooked mixture in the middle of the rice bed.
10.	Slowly roll the entire aluminium foil, with the spinach leaves and rice. Twist each end of the cylinder created to lock the sides.
11.	Steam for 10 minutes. Cool and remove the foil only.
12.	Cut the entire roll into 8 equal slices and serve.