ALUWADI | PATRA WADI | Taro ( Colocasia leaves) steamed dumplings

Aluvadi / Patra

 Alu Wadi /patra  is a popular Gujarati and Maharashtrian snack. Taro or Colocasia leaves are rolled and filled with besan tangy and spicy paste. It resembles a green and gold pinwheel when sliced. Patra is also known as "pathrode," and the leaves are also called "alu" or even "elephant ears."

Posting my moms recipe of aluwadi....She is a fantastic cook .....& her aluwadis taste marvellous

 The art of rolling the patra is important so that it binds the paste with the leaves while they are being steamed. This is normally prepared in rainy season / during ganesh festival /shravan month

Ingredients

5 colocassia leaves/Taro leaves(Alu chi pane in Marathi),

1/2 cup chana dal,

1/2 split green gram with skins on (saalichi moog dal),

2 tsp ginger-garlic and green chili paste,

2 teaspoon each coriander and cumin powder,

1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste,

1/2 teaspoon sugar,

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds,

1 teaspoon turmeric powder,

salt to taste,

Oil for frying,

Method

1.Combine the dals and rinse them in plenty of water. Soak for 5-6 hours.
2.Using very little water grind them into coarse paste.
3.Add ginger-garlic and green chili paste, coriander and cumin powder, turmeric, tamarind paste, sugar, salt and sesame seeds to the dal mixture.
4.Remove stems and wash colocassia leaves. With the help of a knife. scrap the veins and the midrib of each leaf.
5.Dissolve 1 tsp tamarind in water and soak the leaves in tamarind water for half an hour to get rid of their itchy taste. Remove and wipe dry.
6.Place one leaf on a flat surface with the darker side up and also make sure that the narrow end of the leaf is towards you. Spread some dal paste on top so that it covers the surface fully, press another leaf on top of it with it darker side down this time and broad end (heart shaped end) towards you. Again spread enough paste to cover its top surface. Arrange all the leaves one over the other in a similar manner with the layer of paste in between them.
7.Cover the topmost leaf with the remaining paste. Fold in the edges along the length slightly and with gentle hands wrap the leaves tightly to make a roll. Tie it with a thread if desired..
8.Steam the rolls for about 25 minutes.
9.Remove and insert a toothpick or knife into the roll to check the doneness. If the toothpick comes out clean, the roll is well done. Let cool and slice.

10.Heat oil in a deep frying pan or a wok. Fry the pieces in hot oil until crisp. Alternatively you may shallow fry them. Remove when golden brown and crisp. Serve hot as an appetizer or as a snack.

Tips and Variations:

1) You may cut down on the calories by skipping the frying process and simply tempering the vadis. In that case, heat oil, add mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves and use it as a tempering.

2) Garnish with grated fresh coconut and cilantro/coriander leaves.

3)can use besan (gram flour) instead of soaked dals