Directions

1. To make the batter, combine the semolina, rice flour, plain flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Pour in the milk and measured water and whisk well, ensuring there are no lumps. Cover and set aside for 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, make the kheer filling by placing all the ingredients except the condensed milk into a saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture well and cook over a low–medium heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the condensed milk and continue cooking until the mixture thickens; it should be the consistency of choux pastry, and fall off very slowly. Tip the mixture on to a plate and spread out to cool. It will thicken further as it cools. Once cool, use a knife to divide the kheer into 16 portions. Roll each into 13 cm (5 in) logs and set aside.

4. When you’re ready to cook the patishapta, whisk the batter to ensure a uniform mixture, then heat a frying pan over a low–medium heat. Brush very lightly with oil using a pastry brush and, once the oil is hot, add a small ladleful of batter to the pan, swirling the pan as you go, to create a thin crêpe, 15 ½ cm (6 in) in diameter. Cook for 1 minute, until the batter becomes opaque and bubbles appear on the surface. The batter should remain pale on the underside and not take on too much colour.

5. Place a portion of the kheer on the crêpe, slightly off centre. Once the filling is in place, immediately lift one side of the crêpe with a spatula and fold over the filling, then fold twice more, to form a roll. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate. Repeat until you’ve used up all the batter and filling, greasing the pan after cooking every patishapta. You can serve immediately, or at room temperature. Once cool, the pitha can be stored in the refrigerator, in an airtight container, for 2–3 days.