Alu Vadi

Alu Vadi a quintessential dish in Marathi Cuisine. A delightful combination of colocasia leaves and spiced gram flour, packed with flavours ranging from sweet to spicy to tangy which perfectly captures the true essence of Maharashtrian cuisine. It is steamed and pan fried snack made with chickpea flour or besan, this is a must try snack recipe when fresh alu leaves are in season. A traditional Maharashtrian Thali is incomplete without Alu Vadi in it.

Yesterday, when I called my mother, she was frying alu vadi as it was Angarika Chaturthi so she was making the Naivadiya thali. And nostalgia hit harder since it is my favorite and my mom always makes extra and stores it in the freezer. Mumbai monsoons mean availability of fresh alu leaves in the market. Though it is available through out the year, the monsoon produce is tender and fresh, making it an ideal choice for vadi’s.

So what is Alu or Colocasia Leaves?

Alu leaf is called colocasia in English, they are also known as taro leaves or arbi leaves/ Arbi ke Patte. Both roots and leaves are eaten. The root is called arbi which is also used to make curry or tikki.

There are two types of leaves that are sold in markets:

• One that is used to make Patal bhaji or gravy sabzi which is made with very tender arbi leaves. Alu chi bhaji is a post for a different day. You either love it or hate it.
• The other i.e. Mature leaves, that are used to make Alu Vadi. This is what I got today.
• The leaves should be green, without any spots or bugs (turn back to check any pest infestation, while buying).

With no hope of eating alu vadi in Vancouver, I ventured in my usual Indian Store to pick up my groceries. And imagine my happiness when I saw fresh colocasia leaves in the store. I literally broke into dance right in the store. While I was not going to make the entire meal like mom, I opted to make a typical Maharashtrian dal-rice. and shallow fry Alu vadi as as side. And the leftover became a snack for my tea time.

One dish- Many Names

Alu vadi is consumed and made in not only in India but also in different parts of the world. This snack is quite popular across regions. The process is similar but few ingredients might vary.(Source : Wikipedia)

• It is also known as Rikvach in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar 
• Patrodé in Karnataka, 
• Patra in Gujarat,
• Chembila Appam in Kerala,
•  Alu Vadi in Maharashtra (especially in Malvan) and Goa, 
• Patrodu in Himachal Pradesh, 
• Saina in Fiji, and
• Saheena in Trinidad and Tobago.

The most common problem with the Alu Leaves, especially if they are not tender or fresh is that it causes itching in throat. Hence, a souring agent is added to the batter that is used for coating. We add tamarind pulp into the batter. Do not skip adding the souring agent.

Alu Vadi

Recipe by Samrudhi MaheshCourse: Main course, Sides, vegetarianDifficulty: Difficult

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

20

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 20 Alu leaves /colocasia leaves/taro root leaves/ arbi ke patte

• FOR THE BATTER

• 1 inch ginger + 1 to 2 green chilies – paste

• 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder

• 1 teaspoon cumin powder

• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder

• 2 tablespoon tamarind (seedless) soaked in ¼ cup hot water for 20 minutes

• 3 to 4 tablespoon jaggery powder or as required

• 2-3 tablespoon rice flour- optional

• 2.5 cups gram flour (besan), swap with chickpea flour instead

• 1/4 teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida

• 1 teaspoons oil – optional

• salt as required

• water as required – for making the batter and for steaming the vadi

• FOR TEMPERING:

• 2 tablespoon Oil

• 1 & 1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

• 3 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

• A pinch of hing or asafoetida

• 2 tablespoon Freshly Grated Coconut

• Few curry leaves

• coriander leaves

Directions

• We need to clean and prepare the leaves before making Alu vadi. Once you bring the leaves home, give it a good wash and gently remove all the mud particles. Please check the back of the leaves too for any pest infestation. Pat dry each leaf with a kitchen towel.
• First cut the long stem, turn the leaf and remove the thick veins (purple in colour) with a sharp knife. This skill needs some practice. Be gentle not to tear the leaves during the process.
• The leaf is then flatten out using a rolling pin so that it becomes easy to roll it into a log.
• Prepare the steamer by boiling some water and greasing the steamer plate with few drops of oil. It will prevent the leaves from sticking to the plate after steaming.
• Now in a bowl and sift the besan or chickpea flour.Add all the ingredients – turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, ginger and green chilli paste, tamarind paste (check notes), jaggery, hing and salt to taste. Mix this well using a whisk. Now add water slowly to make a thick batter.
• Now place a leaf on the kitchen counter or a wooden board and apply the batter using your hands. Now, place another leaf with the tip in the opposite direction. Placing the leaves in the opposite direction helps them to roll easily. Repeat the process of applying the batter. Now follow this method for each leaf and until finished. Now fold the edges (it will stick due to the batter) and then slowly roll them into a tight log.
• Follow this method for the remaining set of alu leaves and place all the made logs for steaming on to the greased plate.
• Steam the leaves for atleast 15 to 20 minutes on medium heat. Once they have steamed, you will notice the chickpea batter has thickened and sort of stuck to the leaves. The leaf will also be dark in colour. The leaves and the batter will be completely cooked. The rolls will also hold shape and become firm after cooking.
• Allow the logs to cool completely before slicing. Once the vadis are cooled, cut them into equal slices.
• FOR TEMPERING:
• Now heat a pan, add oil, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and hing (asafoetida).Add the cooked and sliced pieces of alu vadi and toss them gently. Allow them to cook for a couple of minutes on the pan before serving them immediately. Sprinkle some grated coconut. These vadi’s can be pan fried and a tempering of mustard and sesame seeds can be added on top.
• FOR PAN FRYING THE VADI’S:
• Heat oil in a pan and pan fry these until the crisp up on both sides.
• FOR DEEP FRYING THE VADI’S:
• Heat some oil and dip the vadi’s in hot oil. Fry until they are golden brown in colour. You can add a tempering of sesame and mustard seeds

Notes

• Allow the steamed vadi’s to cool completely before slicing them else they will break and not hold shape.
• You can make the vadis steam them and freeze them for later use. That is how my mother makes her stash and then fries it when needed.
• Steam for 20 to 25 minutes in a steamer or pressure cooker without the vent weight or whistle.
• To make tamarind Pulp, soak 1.5 tablespoon seedless tamarind in ¼ cup hot water for 20 minutes and then squeezed the pulp in the soaked water.
• The addition of rice flour makes the vadis crispy.

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Try more traditional recipes on our blog

Our Dadpe Pohe, Sabudana Khichdi are also must try.

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