Pathrade Recipe

Indian cuisine beautifully celebrates local produce, utilizing various parts of plants—from leaves to stems, and roots. One such delightful ingredient from the Udupi-Mangalore region, also known as South Canara, is the Colocasia, or Aarbi. While its roots are commonly used in Indian dishes, the leaves of the Colocasia plant are transformed into a traditional delicacy known as Pathrade. Here's how you can make this exquisite dish:

Ingredients:

• Red stemmed variety of tender Colocasia leaves (medium size): 6 nos.
• Raw rice: 1 cup
• Toor Dal: 1/4 cup
• Coriander seeds (Dhania): 2tbsp
• Urad Dal: 2 teaspoons
• Methi Seeds: 1 teaspoon
• Red Chillies: 4 nos. (use a per required spiciness)
• Grated Coconut: 3 tbsp
• Curry Leaves:  2 sprigs
• Salt: As per taste

To create this delicious Pathrade, follow these steps:

Instructions:

1. Soaking: Soak the raw rice and toor dal in water for about an hour.

2. Frying the spices: Fry the coriander seeds, urad dal, methi seed, chili, and curry leaves in a pan with a teaspoon of oil until the urad dal is golden brown.

3. Preparation of the Leaves: Begin by selecting fresh colocasia leaves. Wash them thoroughly to remove any dirt. Ensure the leaves are free from tears and blemishes, and cut the stem close to the leaf. Slice out the spine and veins of the leaves so that they are flexible for folding and rolling.

4. Making the Spiced Paste: Strain and grind the soaked rice and toor dal along with the fried ingredients, the grated coconut, with salt in a food processor. Grind until the mix is a paste of smooth consistency.

5. Coating the Leaves: Spread the spiced paste evenly on the back of each colocasia leaf. Once coated, stack the leaves one over the other, creating a neat pile. 

   
   

6. Rolling and Steaming: Roll the stack of leaves tightly to form a cylindrical shape. Secure the roll with threads if necessary. Steam the roll until it's cooked through and tender. Alternatively, one may pressure cook to save time.

7. Pressure Cooking: Add sufficient water to the pressure cooker and place the container with the rolled leaves inside. Close the lid and cook on high heat until you hear two whistles. Then, reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

   
   
   

8. Slicing the Patrade: Allow the rolls to cool before slicing it into bite-sized pieces.

9.  Shallow Frying the Patrade: Heat a skillet and lightly oil it with ghee. Place the sliced Pathrade pieces in the skillet and cook until they turn a delightful golden brown. Flip each piece to ensure even browning on the other side. Once both sides are perfectly golden, remove from the skillet, serve hot, and savor this delectable snack.

Enjoy the traditional flavors of South Canara with this unique and savory Pathrade!