Sunday 8 August 2010

Arbi Patras - Colocasia Leaf Roll Ups

During the monsoon arbi or colocasia leaves are available in abundance in the markets. It is the time to make patras or roll ups with them.

I made a batter with besan or chickpea flour, ginger/garlic paste, turmeric powder, coriander powder, hing or asfoeteda, garam masala salt and a sauce of tamarind pulp and jaggery (gur).
After washing and de-veining the leaves carefully I spread the batter on th e leaves and layered up 3 one on top of the other with the batter in between. After that I rolled them up sealing the edges.
Now they are ready for steaming
I placed the rolls in the steamer.
They cooked for 25 to 30 minutes until they are firm and well done.
Cool the rolls and slice them. Some people like to eat them steamed.
I deep fried them in hot vegetable oil.

They turned out so delicious.My 2 sisters will envy me when they see this because they don 't get the leaves where they like. Sorry girls, visit me and I make some for you.

Sheeba our official taster. If she approves, then all is well. And she gave her wag of approval for sure.
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While I was cooking I watched the movie "The Color Purple" on cable. Really loved it. Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey were great. Things are quite similar for women in my part of the world.

15 Fertilize my soul:

Donetta said...

Good Morning you have been very busy. Sounds so strange when few of the ingredients are even recognizable. It would be fun to sit at your table and be introduced to them.
Enjoy your day

Nadwrażliwiec said...

They looks like typical Polish cake made from poppy seeds :)
But we don't have colocasia in ours shops - even in shops with Indian and Chinese products (anyway I didn't see it).

Sharodindu said...

This one is very famous in Bengal and Bangladesh.. I love this too :)
I never had idea that people out of Bengal have access to this great taste :)

Anonymous said...

very interesting..how would you describe the taste for those of us not fortunate enough to have these?
love to try them....

Holly, the Old Western Gal said...

You are such a good cook, Amrita. I can barely open a can. But I like to put a rice mixture on grape leaves, but have been unable to get grape leaves lately because my neighbor cut their vine down!!! I was helping myself to the leaves that stuck out through the fence into the alley.

Kimmie said...

Those look really yummy. I am sure you must have a line forming when you get them on the table.

thank you for your kind words, I appreciate your friendship and love.

Kimmie

Julia Dutta said...

Hi Amrita,

What a great treat! In Bombay among the Parsis, this is called Patreil I think. I love it too, but prefer it without frying.

Have posted one on my blog - Northbank - the official "old" house of Rudyard Kipling. Strangely I put it up today and it has come below the one I posted last...check it out!
Julia

Amrita said...

Wow Holly rice on grape leaves, sounds so delicious. Do you steam the rice in the leaves.

In India rice or fish is steamed in banana leaves.

Amrita said...

Wow Holly rice on grape leaves, sounds so delicious. Do you steam the rice in the leaves.

In India rice or fish is steamed in banana leaves.

Amrita said...

Hi Julia, the Begalis also make it , Gujjus too.

Northbank is a beautiful house, too bad they are using it as a police station. It would do better as a hotel at least.

Amrita said...

Hi Dani,
they taste sweet tangy and spicey an d crispy. You can eat them with rice and dal or chappatis or simply as a snack.

Oh Donetta I wish that could be possible one day.

Felisol said...

Dear Amrita,
I like to read about your cooking, even if I don't have the ingredients.
Serina is also following your blog.
She's the chef of the family. Always eager to try new recipes.

The Color Purple is a movie I will not forget.
My sympathy was all with Whoopi Goldberg. I still remember how the whole audience laughed with a kind of payback relief when her husband fell through the roof.
Some movies really gets to you like that.
Then again, Spielberg is one of the greatest movie makers ever.

Mrs. Mac said...

Looks so yummy, Amrita. Sheeba must be one happy pooch when you cook up specialties :) I've never seen any such recipe .. eager to try .. but would have to substitute the leaves and it wouldn't be quite the same (perhaps grape leaves or cabbage?)

Amrita said...

Hi Felisol,, good to hear our Snow Princess is reading my blog. With th e culinary expertise handed dowbn to her from her mother and grandma I am sure Serina is very good at cooking.
At her age I wa s a zero cook. All I could cook were eggs, some instant food and a little baking.W@hen I moved away from the family to work I started to cook.


Hi Mrs Mac, you can substitue with grape or cabbage leaves and also use milder spices. Tamarind and jaggery can be replaced by lemon juice and brown sugar.

Amrita said...

Dear Felisol, I liked that scene too. Whoopi is too good and I wa s surprised at Oprah too. Good acting.