Patra Recipe (Gujarati Alu Vadi)
Tender Gujarati patra made with colocasia leaves and a tangy-sweet besan paste, then tempered or pan-fried for crisp edges.
Equipment
- Steamer with a rack or steamer plate
- Mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Wide skillet
Ingredients
Colocasia Leaves
- 10-12 medium fresh colocasia leaves arbi or taro leaves; stems trimmed, washed, and patted dry
For the Besan Paste
- 1 1/2 cups besan gram flour or chickpea flour
- 2 tablespoons rice flour optional; helps produce smoother slices
- 1 tablespoon ginger-green chilli paste adjust heat to taste
- 2 cloves garlic finely grated, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 pinch asafoetida hing; use a gluten-free product if needed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 2 tablespoons jaggery grated or finely chopped
- 1 1/2-2 tablespoons tamarind paste or thick pulp from soaked tamarind, strained
- 2 tablespoons fresh coconut grated, optional
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds optional
- 3/4-1 cup water added gradually
For Steaming and Tempering
- 1 teaspoon oil for greasing the steamer plate
- 2 tablespoons oil divide if pan-frying
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 2 green chillies slit, optional
- 1 pinch asafoetida hing; use a gluten-free product if needed
- 2 tablespoons fresh coconut grated, optional garnish
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped, optional garnish
Instructions
Prep the Leaves
- Trim the thick central stalk on each leaf so the leaf lies flat without cutting through the blade. Stack the leaves from largest to smallest and keep them covered with a damp cloth.
Make the Besan Paste
- Mix the besan, rice flour, ginger-green chilli paste, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin, red chilli powder, asafoetida, and salt in a bowl.
- Add the jaggery and tamarind. Whisk in water gradually until the paste is lump-free and spreads like soft butter. Rest for 5 minutes, then add 1 teaspoon water if it stiffens.
Spread and Roll
- Place the largest leaf veined side up and spread a thin layer of paste edge to edge. Stack 4-5 pasted leaves with smaller leaves on top.
- Roll tightly from the stem end into a firm log and seal the seam with paste. Repeat if needed.
Steam
- Grease the steamer plate and place the roll seam side down. Steam on medium-high for 18-22 minutes. The center should feel firm rather than pasty, and a skewer inserted through the thickest part should come out clean.
- Rest in the covered steamer for 5 minutes, then cool until warm before slicing.
Temper or Pan-Fry
- Cut the roll into 1-1.5 cm slices. For soft patra, prepare the mustard, sesame, curry leaf, chilli, and asafoetida tempering and pour it over the slices.
- For crispy patra, reserve 1 tablespoon oil and pan-fry the slices for 2-3 minutes per side before adding the tempering.
- Garnish with coconut and coriander. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Use young, tender colocasia leaves. Do not taste the leaves raw, and cook the rolls thoroughly.
The batter should spread like soft butter. Thick batter can crack, while thin batter can slide off the leaves.
Cool the steamed log until warm before slicing so the spirals stay neat.
Steam the log up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate it airtight. Re-steam for 3-4 minutes before serving.
Besan and rice flour are naturally gluten-free, but packaged asafoetida may contain wheat flour. Use hing labeled gluten-free and verify packaged spices if needed.
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