Pathrode ~ Colocasia Leaf Rolls

A popular, seasonal snack made in Mangalore and other parts of coastal Karnataka which involves a stack of colocasia leaves sandwiched together with a masala paste and then steamed and sliced

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Mangalorean

Keyword Colocasia Leaves, Pathrade, Pathrode, Steamed, Vegan

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 331kcal

Author Shireen Sequeira

Ingredients

12-15 big colocasia arbi/taro leaves

For the masala:

1 cup raw rice surai thandul/belthige * I used Kolam rice
1/4 cup split moong dal
1 cup loosely packed grated coconut
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
a pinch of mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 marble sized balls of tamarind
1 small or 1/2 of a medium sized onion
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 teaspoons of grated jaggery optional
salt to taste I used approx 1-1/2 level teaspoons

Instructions

Wash the rice and the moong dal in a couple of changes of water and then soak them together in ample amount of water for 3-4 hours. Then drain and grind along with the rest of the ingredients mentioned under 'For the masala', to a smooth, fine paste. Use water sparingly so as to get a thick paste and not a very runny one. Keep aside.
Gently wash the colocasia leaves and pat dry using a soft kitchen cloth. Turn each leaf upside down with the veins facing you and carefully remove the thick veins starting from the stem area. By trimming this portion you will help reduce itchiness that the colocasia leaves tend to impart. This will also make the leaves less likely to break when you start rolling them.
Sort the leaves according to the size and decide how many rolls you wish to make. You can make a single large roll of 12-15 leaves or divide them into 2 or 3 rolls. Roughly divide the masala also so that you are able to spread it out evenly among the rolls.
Clean up a fairly large working space - a table or your kitchen counter or a chopping board. Place the largest leave facing down (veins facing towards you) and apply the masala thinly and evenly over it. Next, place another leaf in the opposite direction (as seen in the picture) and apply the masala over it. Continue until all the leaves (or as many as you have reserved per roll are finished up).
Carefully fold both the sides along the length and then roll along its breadth (as if you are rolling a carpet)
Place water in a steamer and when it comes to a rolling boil, place the rolls in it and steam for a good 20-25 mins or until the knife inserted comes out clean. Leave the rolls for another 5-10 mins in the steamer before removing them out.
Cut into slices and serve as is or lightly fry them up. You may also serve the slices seasoned with mustard and curry leaves.

Notes

There are many varieties of the colocasia plant. The best way to differentiate them is by the colour of their stalks (stems). The one with black stalks are usually cooked and given to new mothers. Another variety I am told is with very light green or almost white stalks (rarely found apparently). The one with green stalks is what I have used for this recipe. There is another variety which has pink spots over the leaves which I am not sure is edible.

Nutrition