Patra (Snack With Colocasia Leaves)

          Patra is a Gujarati snack made with Colocasia (Seppankizhangu, Taro) leaves, gram flour and other spices. I knew about this dish for a long time but got to taste it only a couple of months back at a party and I liked it very much. Initially I was going to get a pack from the frozen section of an Indian store, but after becoming a food blogger, could I do that. So I picked up some fresh leaves and made this from scratch, it was a fairly simple process, I followed a recipe from my collection over the years. It came out very good and I was very happy that I gave this a try..

Need To Have

• Colocasia Leaves - 9
• Besan Or Gram Flour - 1 cup
• Chilli Powder - 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Garam Masala - 1/4 teaspoon
• Sesame Seeds - 1 + 1/2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida - 1/4 teaspoon
• Grated Ginger - 1 tablespoon
• Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
• Jaggery - 2 tablespoons
• Baking Soda - 1/4 teaspoon
• Chopped Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
• Grated Coconut - 1 tablepoon
• Salt - to taste
• Lemon - for serving  

Apply the paste 

Make the first fold and apply paste

Do the second fold and apply paste

Roll it over

Arrange in a plate and steam

                       
Method
          Take thick extract from the tamarind, take the colocasia leaves and slice out thick stems without damaging the leaves. In a bowl, take besan flour, add 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, asafoetida, baking soda, ginger, jaggery, the chilli and turmeric and garam masala powders, using the tamarind extract and 2 teaspoons of oil, make a thick paste. Take a leaf, place it vein side up, apply the paste, do the first fold, apply paste on the folded sides, do the second fold, again apply the paste on the folded sides and roll the leaf as shown. Repeat it with all the leaves, arrange it in a plate and steam it for 30 mins. Cool and slice it, heat some oil, add the mustard seeds and the remaining sesame seeds, once they splutter, add the slices, give a nice mix and remove. Garnish with the chopped coriander and the coconut and serve it with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Sending it to Spicy Treats for Show Me Your Hits - Healthy Delights event,
                to Cuisine Delights for the Colorful Holi event,
                to Srav's Cooking Concepts for the Dish For Loved Ones event,
                to Anzz Cafe for the Valentine's Day event,
                to Preeti's Kitchen Life for the Color And Sweet -  Holi Fest event,
                to Sizzling Tastebuds for the Valentine's Fest - Served With Love and
                to My Cook Book for the  Holi Hai event.

Note
Wash the leaves well before using , you can apply paste on one leaf, place another leaf, apply paste, place a third leaf, do the same, roll it and slice it but I followed the above method.
The paste will be enough for 9 to 12 leaves depending on the size of the leaves.