MaraLva Paan Phodi / Tree Taro Leaves Fritters

MARALVA PAAN means Tree taro / Tree colocasia leaves. There are 4-5 varieties of colocasia leaves and these are one of them. Phodi means fritters in the Konkani language. These leaves are available only in the rainy season for a month or so in the western ghats. These Phodis / fritters can be either shallow fried or deep-fried. These are deep-fried fritters and tastes heavenly with hot rice and dal.

Ingredients

1 cup dosa rice

1/2 cup urad dal / Skinless black gram dal

6-8 dry red chillies

Chickpea size tamarind

Peanut size hing/ asafoetida

Salt to taste

10-15 taro leaves

Oil for deep frying

3 tbsp rice flour

1 tbsp fine Rava (optional) for dusting

Procedure

• Chop thick stem and veins of the leaves, wash properly and keep aside to drain the water.

• Soak rice for 0ne hour in water. Dry roast urad dal till light brown and nice aroma comes.

• Make a fine powder of roasted urad dal and keep aside

• Wash soaked rice 2-3 times, drain all the water and grind with red chillies, salt,hing and tamarind, into a fine and thick paste using little water

• Remove the batter to a bowl, add roasted dal powder to the ground rice batter and mix well

• Place one big leaf on the kitchen platform or any flat surface, with the reverse side of the leaf facing upright.

• Put another leaf on it and repeat the same procedure. Like this keep, 6-8 leaves, apply masala.

• Fold both the sides and apply masala, fold the lower edge and start rolling tightly. Since dal powder is sticky it will stick on its own. Roll it like a tube.

• Keep the roll in the freezer for 15 mins, this will help to cut the roll easily.

• After 15 mins cut the roll into 1/2 inch thick roundels

• Mix rice flour and rava on a plate, dust each fritter/roundels with the rice flour mixture and keep

• Heat oil and deep fry fritters in batches on a medium flame till it turns dark brown and crisp.

• Serve hot fritters with hot rice and dal or enjoy with hor coffee when it is raining outside.

• You can store these rolls in the freezer for 3-4 months.

• You can also prepare this with rice flour in place of soaking and grinding rice. Use rice flour, dal powder,chilli powder and the other ingredients, add water and make a paste and use.

• You can use the same procedure for any other colocasia leaves or pumpkin leaves fritters.