ALU VADI / अळू वडी

ALU VADI / अळू वडी 

 INGREDIENTS

Alu chi pane / colocasia leaves	6 – 8 nos
Rice flour (coarse)	1 small cup
Besan / chick pea flour	2 tbsp
Bhajani che peeth http://paripoornapaksiddhi.blogspot.in/2012/07/thalipithachi-bhajani-mixed-cereal.html	2 tbsp
Ginger grated                                    OR garlic flakes crushed (optional)	½ tbsp           OR 4 -5 flakes
Khus khus / poppey seeds roasted (optional)	1 tsp
Grated dry coconut lightly roasted	1 tsp
Imli / tamarind pulp	1 tbsp
Chilli pdr	1 tsp
Haldi / turmeric pdr	½ tsp
Jaggery	1 tsp
Salt	T.T.
Scraper fresh coconut (for garnish)	2 – 3 tbsp
Chopped coriander leaves (for garnish)	2 tbsp
TADKA
Oil	1 – 2 tbsp
Til / sesame seeds	½ tsp
Heeng / asafoetida	¼ tsp

METHOD:

1.       Grind together finely khuskhus, dry coconut and ginger or garlic. Mix this to all the flours along with imli pulp, jaggery, salt, chilli pdr and haldi. Make it into a thick but spreadable paste.

2.       Keep the biggest colocasia leaf on a plate. Cut off the stem. Keep it lengthwise with the smooth side facing down and the pointed side of the leaf away from you.

3.       Apply the prepared paste evenly but in a thin layer on the leaf.

4.       Now keep the second leaf on top, exact opposite of the first with the smooth side facing up and the pointed side of the leaf pointing you.

5.       Spread the paste on this leaf as well. Repeat similarly with the third and fourth leaf keeping them as the first two leaves.

6.       Now fold 1" of the outer edges on all four sides inwards. This will seal the edges. Apply a layer of the paste on top.

7.       Now from one side start rolling tightly making sure you keep on applying a thin layer of the paste in between. Roll till the end and keep it with the open end facing down.

8.       Repeat similarly with the remaining leaves to make another roll.

9.       Keep these rolls in a steamer and steam them for 25 – 30 min till they are cooked and firm.

10.   Remove them and allow to cool. Do not attempt to cut them when they are hot or they tend to break.

11.   Cut them into 1/2 “ roundels. Arrange these vadis in a plate. Heat oil, add heeng and sesame seeds. When they splutter give a tadka with this to the vadis.

12.   Garnish with scraped coconut and coriander leaves.

13.   You can also shallow fry or deep fry the vadis if you like. In that case do not give tadka on top.

14.   Using rice flour makes the vadis crisp when fried. You can make these vadis using only besan but it will not give the vadis crispness and they will remain soft.