Instructions

To make the patra paste, combine all the ingredients listed for the paste like gram flour, curd, turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chilli powder, ginger, tamarind water, jaggery, cooking oil, salt to taste and a little water to make a thick paste in a bowl. Mix everything properly and keep it aside.

Next, take 5 large colocasia leaves. Wash them clean and then dry them using a kitchen towel.

Once the leaves are dry and clean, place the leaves on a flat surface and keep the dark green side of the leaf facing downwards.

Gently devein the thick veins from the leaves using a kitchen knife, ensuring not to cut the leaf and discard the thick veins.

Place the leaf with the tip facing towards you, and apply and smear the besan paste evenly on the colocasia leaf.

Apply little besan mixture on another leaf and place it in on the first leaf with the tip of the leaf pointed in the opposite direction. Continue the same pattern until you have 4 layers with 4 leaves.

Gently fold the left and right side about 1 inch inwards. Now starting from your end tightly roll the leaves. Keep smearing the besan paste as you roll to make a log.

Repeat with the other leaves to make similar logs of patra.

Now we will steam the patras. Preheat a steamer with 3 cups of water at the bottom.

Grease the steamer plates with oil and place the rolls into the steamer plates. Cover the steamer and steam for 10 to 12 minutes on high heat. Turn off heat; remove the steamer pates from the steamer and allow them to cool for ten minutes.

Once cooled, cut the logs into one inch pinwheels and keep aside.

Now we will make the seasoning.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide sauté pan on medium heat; add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and allow them to crackle.

Once the seeds have crackled, add asafoetida and curry leaves. Let it cook for about 30 seconds and switch off the gas. Keep it aside.

Meanwhile, cut the patra pinwheels in your desired size. Add the Patra to the pan and cook till they tiurn golden in colour.

Once done, turn off heat and arrange the patras into a platter.

Garnish with freshly grated coconut and serve the delicious Gujarati Patra's - Alu Vadi's as an appetizer or along with your main course meal.

Handy Tip: Patras can be premade and frozen after they are steamed and cooled. When you are ready to use them; thaw them and then proceed with the seasoning process.
Serve Gujarati Patra as a dish along with your gujarati meal of Gujarati Kadhi, Bhindi Aloo and Phulkas for your everyday meal.