Alu(Colacassia/Arbi) Vadi/Rolls - Baked or deep fried ?

Aluvadi - Another very popular recipe from Maharastrian cuisine and yes, you read the title correct.You can even bake them, as much as you can deep fry them.

And both options taste great. Of course you can never replace what a deep fried food would taste, but there are so many people you have restrictions on fried food due to their health conditions. And why should they miss out on such amazing delicacies. I have myself been through the food restrictions when I was very sick due to stomach ailments. And being a foodie, it was a pathetic feeling to just stare or dream of these great dishes. So I always look for different ways to prepare our food, keeping its quality and nutritional value intact. And with that I share both variations in my blog.

Made from Alu leaves (Colacassia leaves in English or Arbi leaves in hindi ).These are our homegrown Alu leaves and hence they small in size and do not cause any itching in the throat. Make sure you ask the vegetable seller, when you buy from the market.

Ingredients -

1. 8 to 10 small Alu leaves. Washed in clean water and stem removed.

2. 1 small cup Gram flour

3. 2 tsp. Sesame seeds

4. 1 tsp. Tamarind extract or Tamarind chutney

5. 1 tbsp. softened Jaggery (This removes the itchy sensation caused by leaves)

6. 1 tsp Turmeric powder

7. 2 tsp Coriander powder

8. 2 to 3 tsp Red Chilli powder

9. Salt to taste

Procedure -

1. Take gram flour in a bowl and add sesame seeds, tamarind extract, jaggery,turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, salt and mix well.

2. Keep adding little water till you form thick batter.

3. Now take one of the leaves and start applying the paste all over the leaf. Repeat this process by adding one leaf above the other. Place 3 to 4 leaves on each other.

4. Start folding so as to make a roll out of it.

5. Place the roll in a cooker and get it steamed. Approx 15 mins. If the leaves are big and thick, it could even take upto 20-25 mins.

6. You can easily store the steamed roll in the refrigerator for about 2 days.

7. Take the steamed roll and cut into thin pieces and deep fry them. This has been how its traditionally prepared in households.

8. You can also brush the pieces with few spoons of oil and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper/baking paper or just greased.

9. Bake at 180 deg celcius in a preheated oven for around 12 mins or a little more if you need them to be more crispy. This is your baked variation of the same dish. :)

Watch the video to know the preparation steps. Hope you like it.Do leave a comment on my blog.