MyMusingsSangSpeak- Pet Puja - Aluchi Wadi

Aluchi Wadi

Aluchi Wadi is an all time favorite Maharashtrian savoury snack and is loved by one and all. It is famous all over India too and is known by various names as Patra, Patrod, Pattaud etc. It is made of colocasia/arum (Arbi in Hindi, Alu in Marathi) leaves and a batter of besan flavoured with tamarind, chilly powder, jaggery etc and has a unique taste. The colocasia leaves are available all through the year, but, most readily available during the monsoons. There are two types of edible colocasia leaves, the light green and the dark green. In Maharashtra, the light green variety is used to make semi liquid recipe called the Aluchi Patal Bhaji (Saag) and the dark green variety is used to make the Aluchi Wadi.

Colocasia has microscopic calcium oxalate crystals that cause itchy throat. To neutralise these, the tubers and leaves are treated with some acidic ingredient like tamarind, lemon etc.

Colocasia tubers grow very easily too and are hardy plants in all weathers and environments.

Traditionally, in Maharashtra only besan is used in the recipe, but, here, I am sharing the recipe with a combination of besan and rice flour.

Ingredients

Colocasia (Arum) leaves – 8-10 nos

Besan (Chana Daal/Gram Flour – 1½ cup

Rice Flour – ½ cup

Jaggery – 1½ tablespoon

Tamarind – 1½ tablespoon

Red Chilly Powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon

Sesame seeds – 1½ tablespoons

Corinader Powder – ½ teaspoon

Cumin Powder – ½ teaspoon

Salt – As per taste

Water – As per requirement

Oil – As per frying requirements 

Method

Wash the colocasia leaves and dry them. Remove the veins and flatten lightly with rolling pin. Soak tamarind for 10–15 minutes and strain the pulp. Soak jaggery in little water and make a solution. Mix together gram flour, rice flour, salt, turmeric, chilly, cumin, coriander powders, sesame seeds and add tamarind pulp and jaggery solution. Add little water to make smooth batter like pakoda batter. Take one leaf and spread the batter on it evenly and cover with another leaf and repeat the process with 3-4 leaves. Fold the batter covered leaves to form a roll. Apply little oil on top of the rolls,

Steam the rolls for 10- 15 minutes in a steamer utensil or pressure cooker. Remove and allow to cool. Cut in thin slices and shallow or deep fry as per your liking/convenience.  

Note – Preparation time is approximately 1 hour. This quantity is enough for 6-7 persons. The rolls can be made and stored in the fridge for about a week or so and fried as and when required. If one wishes to avoid frying, the steamed ones taste good on their own, with a tempering of little oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.