Aluchi Vadi

Alu in English is known as colocasia/tora/elephant-ear. In Hindi it is arabi and in Malayalam it is called as Chembu.  They are many types colocasia. The one we use for aluchi vadi is the small soft one which grows on marshy land.

It’s a Maharastrian dish. And I was introduced to this when I was a child. We had just moved in to a ground floor of government quarter, with a small garden in front. Mom was very excited to make it into a kitchen garden. But we got a shock when we saw there were kitchen drain leakage and the water use to come out into the garden. In this mess there were lots of colocasia plants growing. My father was all ready to clear this mess, when one of our Maharashtrian neighbor asked us to give us some of these leaves. She prepared aluchi vadi and gave it to us. We all relished it and the entire plan of scraping of the alu plantation was cancelled. Mummy learnt it how to prepare and it was regularly made at house.

 Ingredients

Colocasia leaf - 10 tender medium sized

Besan (Chickpea Flour) - 1cup
Chili Powder - 2tsp (or per taste)
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

A pinch of hing

Salt as per taste

For Tamarind paste
Tamarind – 1 lemon size ball
Water  - 1 cup

Oil as needed for deep fry

 Method

1.      Soak the Tamarind in water and keep for an hour.  Mash this hand and then squeeze the pulp.

2.      Wash the leaves gently, flip and remove the veins keeping the leaf intact, specially the stem portion, as it would make the leaf to roll easily. Pat dry the leaf.

3.      Mix basin, chili, coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, hing and salt.

4.      To this add the Tamarind paste and make a thick batter. 

5.      Now take the biggest leaf and place it on the flat surface.  The rough part facing you.

6.      Apply the batter evenly.

7.      Place the next leaf on top of it and apply the batter.  Repeat this procedure for total of 5 leaf.

8.      Now roll it from wider edge to the pointed edge.

9.      Apply a batter on this roll

10.   Do the same process with the next 5 leaves (point 5 -9)

11.  Place these rolls on a greased steamer.  I use idli maker.

12.  Let the roll steam in medium heat for 20 mins.

13.  Remove and let them cool completely. Now using sharp knife cut 1/2" thick rounds vadis.

 

14.  Deep fry these Vadis and serve hot.