Patrode/Aluwadi/Patra (Colocasia Leaf Rolls)

There are some delicacies that are regional and seasonal. People who don’t live in those areas might never get to taste these gorgeous dishes. I had heard about this dish made from Arbi/Colocasia/Taro leaves from a neighbor to make a delicacy Patrode/Aluwadi. It wasn’t until I got married and went to my in-law’s house in Himachal that I got to know of this delicacy. And once I put it on my Instagram page, I realized that it was enjoyed by people from a lot of states by a lot of different names. They are called Patrode in Himachal Pradesh. Patra in Gujarat and Aluwadi in Maharashtra.

These are the names I know of, do you know of any other name guys?

VARIATIONS:

1. Colocasia Leaves: There are some wild varieties of the colocasia leaves that have a really pungent taste. Try avoiding those if possible since these leave an itchy sensation in the throat.

2. Stuffing: There are two classic stuffings that you can make for this (will share the detailed recipe for both):
a) Chickpea paste: This is easier and needs no prep ahead in time.
b) Rice – Chana Dal stuffing: This needs soaking of dal overnight and grinding into a smooth paste. Use a ratio of 2:1 for rice and the dal for the best flavor.

3. Substitute Leaves: Colocasia/Taro Roots taste the best with this recipe but they are found mostly during monsoons. If you wish to try them with some other leaves. Try the green variety of Amaranth/Chaulai leaves as it tastes absolutely amazing as well. They are smaller, so you will need more leaves.

COOKING VARIATIONS:

Patrode/Aluwadi/Patra is usually steamed and air fried. If you don’t own a steamer and an air fryer, you can do the following:

1. Steaming: Here are the multiple variations:
a) Electric Steamer: Takes about 25 minutes to steam the rolls
b) Gas Steamer: Use momo maker or any dish with holes to let the steam pass through the plate. It will take about 40-45 minutes to steam the rolls
c) Pressure Cooker: If you don’t have any steamer, then simply add ¼ cup of mustard oil in the cooker and add the rolls and cook for 1 whistle. Remove from heat and let the steam release.

2. Frying: Here are the multiple ways to fry them:
a) Airfryer: Grease the pieces and place them in a preheated air fryer for 8-10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
b) Deep Frying: Add mustard oil in a wok and let it heat up and then fry them by adding a few pieces each time. Make them crispy on both sides.
c) Shallow frying: Alternatively, you can shallow fry them on an iron skillet or non-stick pan by adding little mustard oil and cooking on low heat on both sides until it gets crispy.

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes
COOKING TIME: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 2 rolls (12-14 pieces)
DIFFICULTY SCALE: Medium

INGREDIENTS:

1. Colocasia Leaves – 10 large (take more if you have small size leaves)
2. Onion – 1, medium, optional
3. Garlic – 2 pods
4. Ginger – 1 small piece, optional
5. Red Chilli powder – ½ teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder – ½ teaspoon
7. Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
8. Dry Mango/Amchur powder – 1 teaspoon
9. Carom seeds / Ajwaein – ½ teaspoon
10. Mustard oil – 2 tablespoons
11. Salt – ½ teaspoon

For the chickpea stuffing –

12. Chickpea flour – 3 tablespoons
13. Rice flour – 1 tablespoon, optional

For the rice – chana dal stuffing –

14. Chana Dal – 4 tablespoons
15. Rice – 8 tablespoons/ ½ cup

UTENSILS/EQUIPMENT:

1. Mixing bowl
2. Grinder
3. Steamer
4. Air fryer

RECIPE:

For the rice – chana dal stuffing –

1. Soak rice and chana dal overnight or for at least 6 hours until they get soft.
2. Remove all the excess water and grind the rice and dal into a nice smooth paste. Add a little water if needed. You don’t want the stuffing to be runny.

For the chickpea stuffing –

3. Mixture the chickpea and rice flour together.
4. Add little water to make a thick paste.

For the stuffing –

5. Grind the onion, ginger, and garlic into a smooth paste.
6. Mix all the dry spices – turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, carom seeds, and coriander powder.
7. Mix the paste and dry spices in the rice-dal paste or chickpea-rice flour (whichever version you are making).
8. Add some mustard paste and make a nice thick paste which you can easily apply with your fingers.

For the rolls –

9. Take fresh colocasia leaves and wash them thoroughly. Let them dry out for an hour or so. Or you can dry them with a kitchen towel.
10. Now lay down the leaf from the face down. Remove the stalk if there is any. Make a slit on the leaf till it reaches the beginning of the stalk, this will make it sit down nice and flat. Keep the head (pointed end) towards you.
11. Apply paste with your fingers. Don’t apply a lot or very less.
12. Now place another leaf, again facing downwards but place the tail towards you. Again apply the paste.
13. If you have large leaves, then use 4-5 leaves to keep the head and tail areas alternatively and applying the paste. If you have small leaves, use 7-8 of them.
14. Then fold one side of the leaves in the center and apply some paste. Then fold the other side and apply some paste again. It will now look cylindrical.
15. Now start rolling the leaves to make a tight roll. Seal the roll with some additional paste.
16. If you roll doesn’t stay in place, tie them with a thread. But usually, you wouldn’t need it if you make a tight roll.

Steaming –

17. Add water to a steamer and heat it until steam starts forming.
18. Place it in the steamer and let it steam – 40-45 minutes on a gas stove steamer and 25 minutes on an electric steamer (see details in the COOKING VARIATIONS section above)
19. Take it out and let it cool for half an hour.
20. Cut the Patrode/Aluwadi rolls with a sharp knife. The size of each piece should be about ½ inch.

Frying –

21. Fry the steamed Patrode/Aluwadi pieces either in an air fryer, in a kadhai, or on a Tawa based on your preference. (see details in the COOKING VARIATIONS section above)

Serve Patrode/Aluwadi hot with tea.