Cooking with Taro leaves

Something very special and unique to gardeners and farmers is that we get to eat what many don’t. It’s time to celebrate a seasonal harvest; an unsung hero – Taro /Colocasia/Arbi/Seppankizhangu leaves. In the south of India, we only consume the tubers of colocasia but cooking with the leaves is very common in the Northern parts of India. Here I am sharing a tasty dish using taro leaves. I am very passionate about seasonal eating and how it impacts our health and the environment.  Colocasia/Taro leaves or Arbi Ke Patte can be made into a delicious dish. You can either eat it as crispy and crunchy fritters or dress it up as a rich gravy. I am sharing a basic recipe here. It is quite flexible and you can make it your own according to your taste. Watch the video for the making process.

RECIPE: (Colocasia/Taro/Arbi leaves)

5-7 Colocasia Leaves (Arbi)

For the batter:

1 cups Gram flour (besan)

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbl sp Finely chopped onion

1 tsp fined chopped green chillies

Salt to taste

Water as required

For the gravy:

1 tsp chilli powder

1 teaspoon Coriander Powder (Dhania)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 teaspoon Ginger Garlic Paste

Onion puree (2 onions)

Tomato puree (3 tomatoes)

Salt to taste

Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the leaves, remove the central mid-vein and apply the batter (as per recipe)
2. Layer 3-4 leaves as you continue applying the batter.
3. Tuck in the sides and make it into a roll. Seal the edges with the batter.
4. Steam the rolls for about 10-12 minutes.
5. Slice them into half inch discs and shallow fry them in oil.
6. At this stage, you can consume them as fritters. These are crispy and very delicious.
7. In the same oil, sauté onion puree and ginger-garlic paste.
8. Add tomato puree after the raw smell subsides.
9. Add the dry spices and cook with some water.
10. Once the gravy it ready, add the fried fritters before serving.

The gravy can be made according to your taste – if not an onion-tomato based one, you can add coconut or tamarind paste or any gravy base you prefer and add the fritters in them. Tweak it to your taste. I never stick to a standard recipe. I hope you will try this if you haven’t already.

As much as I am passionate about seasonal cooking, I am also passionate about cultivating beauty in all areas of our lives. Whether it’s cooking, gardening, art or  decorating, it’s all simply a form of creative expression. I hope you are encouraged to create beauty in your space too.

Have a beautiful day my friends!

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