Colocasia or Taro Leaf rolls/ Patrado (Konkani)

Patrado (konkani) Rolls made of colocassia leaf multilayered with masala and steamed.

Yesterday I had a yummy patrado. It was raining heavy & I enjoyed my dinner with steaming boiled rice mixed with lemon dal sar along patrado topping it with coconut oil...woaw what could be better than this hmmmm.

Patrado is a Konkani delicacy made with Patrade paan(konkani) or colocassia leaf. It is mostly found in abundance during the rainy season and is grown in backyard kitchen gardens.
During rainy season leaves grow in abundance & also is found to cause less itching than the rest season.

My backyard with patrade paan widely grown 

Patrade paan (konkani) can cause itching in the hands while handling them due to the calcium oxalate. This can be avoided by rubbing hands with tamarind juice/ lemon juice before handling taro leaves.
Patrado is also garnished with coconut oil to prevent itching in the throat. The secret to tasty patrado also lies in using tender or young taro leaves as opposed to larger taro leaves.
We used to keep the remaining patrado the next day, which was shallow fried with rice powder mixed with chili powder. This makes great patrado phodi. I loved it along kanji or even curd rice. My all time favarate.


Some experimentation in masala:
We can prepare the patrado paste using different combination of  green gram (moong), toor dal, rice along chilly.In this recipe below 50% moong, 25% rice, 25% grated coconut is used for stuffing into leaves.
Other variations are :
1) 100 % whole moong 
2) 75% whole moong or moong dal and 25 % rice 
3) 50 % toor dal and 50 % rice 
4) 50 % chana dal and 50% rice 
5) 25 % chana dal 25 % moong dal and 50 % rice. 

My mom would prepare it mostly with moong dal and rice along grated coconut. Its good to use moong dal  as its much lighter on the tummy than chana dal.

Method:
Grind to smooth paste the roasted red chilli 8-12, 1/2 coconut grated, overnight soaked green gram 1 cup, half cup soaked(2 hrs) rice, 1 tb sp jaggery powder, small pinch asafoetida, medium tamarind pulp, salt to taste... (some also add, 1 tb sp roasted coriander seed, 1 tb sp jeera instead of asafoetida)

• Now take cleaned Patrado (colocassia leaf ) remove the stem and veins.

• Take a plain clean surface place 1 big leaf add the paste and spread all over the leaf..Then keep another leaf on the left side, covering half side of the first leaf...Apply little paste and spread over it. Then keep third leaf on the right side in the same manner. Thus apply leaf & paste alternatively & evenly. Repeat it same way to make 8 to 10-12 layer of leaf.

• Now first turn inside all the 2 sides of this pile and then roll it completelly and tie the roll with a thread if you need to keep the roll firm.

• Keep the roll in a steaming vessel and cook in steam for 20 min till its done.

• Check if the roll is cooked well by poking using a tooth pick, you should see the the masala don't stick to the tooth pick. After it cools down a little, remove the thread and make slices.

• Have them by adding ghee/coconut oil or deep fry them to eat or shallow fry them. Goes great with a simple tomato sar/dal and rice...

Patrado along coconut oil

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN

Spine Gourd/Teasel Gourd Fritters/Kantola Fry (Phagla bajo/bajji) [Konkani]

This vegetable is known as the Spine Gourd for obvious reasons and locally in Konkani referred to as “Phaagil” or  “Phagla” It is quite expensive and so much of a favorite that people will wait every monsoon for its arrival at the market and gladly pay whatever it costs to take some home! Most of the festivals during Shravan maas you will get to see this Spine Gourd/Teasel Gourd Fritters preparation. 
Mostly all parts of the Konkan coast, Chattisgarh, Orissa and the North Eastern states you will find this vegetable during the monsoon in Vegetable stalls. Only the green and tender fruit is used and it is cooked in many different ways. This vegetable is known by various names locally wherever it is eaten and you might recognise this vegetable as Meetha Karela, Khekhsa, Padora, Bhaat Karela, Kakrol, Kankro, Kantola, Aakakarakaya, Phagla, Phaagil, Ban Karela, Bhat Karola or Kartoli!
Today as it was Varamahalashimi Pooja, we made few varieties of vegetable dishes and Spine Gourd/Teasel Gourd Fritters also was one of my favorite dishes to be made :) I love it as its very tasty. Try this simple recipe and I am sure you will love it :)

Phodi in konkani are anything shallow fried and deep fried. But technically we call deep fried veggies bajo. However, this bajo/bajji that's deep fried phagil, is called phagla phodi. A nice, spicy red masala is used to fry the Indian gourd. The rava fry version of the teasel gourd is also called phagla phodi where they are shallow fried with spicy rava.

Ingredients:
6 spine gourds
About 1/2 tsp salt
about 2 tsp fine rice flour
6 tbsp red chilli powder (according to taste)
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
1 tsp cumin powder (optional)
1 tbsp corn flour
A little more salt, if necessary, to taste
Coconut oil, for deep frying

Method:

• Wash the Spine gourds, Cut it horizontally into thin slices.

• Add the chilli powder, cumin powder, rice flour, asafoetida powder, corn flour salt to Spine Gourd and add little of water to evenly mix the masala all over. Keep it aside for 5-10mins. (You can also fry it immediate).
• Now deep fry the Spine gourd under medium flame. When done serve hot along meals.
• You can also have it along Tea/Coffee. 

Padmashree Raikar

@ gHara javaN