Pathrodo is a Konkani delicacy made with colocasia leaves (Taro leaves ) stuffed with a spicy masala paste and steamed. There are different kinds of masala paste used to make patrodo. This recipe is with tuvar dal. One can completely substitute tuvar dal with whole moong or add 2 fistfuls of whole moong to the amount tuvar dal in this recipe. One should be careful while handling taro leaves, they can cause itching. Karmbal (star fruit ), Bimbul (Bilimbi ) or tamarind is usually used as the souring agent for the masala, it is also known to reduce the itching of the leaves.

Ingredients :

• Colocasia leaves – 25 – 30.
• Raw Rice – 1 cup.
• Tuvar Dal – 1/2 cup
• Grated coconut – 1 cup (Heaped ).
• Red Chillies -10 -15.
• Bimbul ( Bilimbi ) -5-6. or use tamarind.
• Asafoetida – a pea sized or use 1 tsp of powder.
• Jaggery – a pebble sized piece( optional ).
• Salt to taste.

Method :

1. The leaves should not be used immediately after harvesting as it could cause itching, so keep it for 2 days covered in plastic .
2. Remove the thick veins using a thin pairing knife. wash to clean the leaves . Now the leaves are ready to use

3. Soak rice and dhal for 2- 3 hours.
4. Grind grated coconut,red chillies,asafoetida and bimbul to a paste.
5. Mix in the soaked rice and dhal ,grind till you get thick coarse paste.
6. Add salt and Jaggery. Masala is ready.

7. Keep the leaves and masala paste ready.
8. Fill the steamer with enough water and switch on the flame.
9. Place a big size leaf on your work place,smear the masala paste, repeat with another leaf .

10. And continue the process with smaller leaves till you have used 10 to 12 leaves.

11. Fold in one side.

12. Fold the other side.

13. Roll the loaf tightly like a Swiss roll.

14. Repeat the process till you finish all leaves.
15. Now the pathrodo lolo (loaf ) is ready to steam.

16. Steam to cook the Pathrodo loaves for 45 minutes to an hour.

17. Check if it is fully cooked using a tooth pick. If it goes in smoothly and comes out cleanly the pathrodo is cooked well.
18. Serve hot, sliced with coconut oil.

Variation/ for left overs:-

• one variation is steaming the pathrodo in a pressure cooker, heat a bit of coconut oil splatter a bit of mustard seeds, methi seeds and split urad dhal. Place the prepared lolo (loaf) on top of the oil with splattered seeds add a bit of water and cook till one whistle. This is also known as Phanna pathrodo.
• Add 2 handfuls of whole moong to the thuvar dal.
• With the left over pathrodo, slice and shallow fry in oil to crisp up on both sides.

• Chop the left over pathrodo. Heat oil in a kadai, splatter a little mustard, fry chopped onions till they turn golden brown, to this add chopped pathrodo and fry till slighty brown and crisp.

• Left over masala paste can be used to make sanna polo dosa.

1. Add finely chopped onions to the leftover masala paste with a little salt enough for the added onions .
2. Spread on a hot tawa, not too thin not too thick.

3. Add oil to the sides to crisp.

4. Cook closed under a lid until the top looks done.

5. Flip carefully (this dosa is a little delicate till it gets evenly cooked on both sides and can break while flipping the first time)
6. Add more oil to crisp and brown evenly on both sides.