Paatra - Gujarati Taro Rolls

Taro leaves rolls are made in Maharashtrian, South Canara, Malvani and Gujarati way in my family. I strongly feel each recipe has a unique flavor and taste of its own.

Paatra

Taro Leaves Rolls

Ingredients

24 small taro leaves

1/3 cup vada nu loat

1 tbsp grated jaggery or jaggery powder

1 tsp tamarind paste

Grind to fine paste

3-4 cloves of garlic

1" ginger, peeled & chopped

2-3 green chilies

Tempering

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp sesame seeds

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 of small onion, minced

Garnish

1 tbsp grated coconut

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Method

1. Wash and dry taro leaves.

2. Mix vada nu loat along with salt, jaggery, tamarind and ground masala paste. Add water gingerly to make a thick paste.

3. Apply the paste on the back of the taro leaves. Make sure that the biggest leaf is used at the bottom. Keep making a pile of 6 - 8 leaves.

4. Roll from the sides to make a roll. Use kitchen thread if needed.

5. Steam in a steamer or pressure cooker. Let it cool down completely. Cut into circles.

6. Heat oil in a small saucepan.

7. Add all the ingredients for tempering. Stir fry till onion and garlic are golden brown.

8. Pour over the paatra pieces. Alternately, you can also add paatra pieces to the saucepan after onion & garlic are golden brown.

Note -

1. I used home grown taro leaves which were much smaller and hence I had to use 24 of them. If you get bigger leaves, you may need to use less of them.

2. Do not forget to all tamarind to this recipe. Some souring agent is necessary when dealing with taro leaves else it may scratch the throat.
3. Besan /chickpea flour can be substituted if you do not have vada nu loat. But vada nu loat adds a different flavor