Colocasia Leaves Curry (Kesu Leaves Curry)

Colocasia/Kesu is leafy vegetable which is grown plenty during rainy season. It is used mostly during rainy season because of its healthy values.

There are two varieties of Kesu/Colocasia plants, one is purely green from stem and the other one is black at stem part and leaves are bit dark green. The second variety is said to be very good and does not need much of tamarind. The pure green variety needs more tamarind and it has the more itchy sense when you do not use needed tamarind quantity. People should take care of this point before cooking Colocasia leaves.
We do many varieties of curries and dishes using this kesu leaves. Kesu patrode is famous and so many dishes also can be prepared even using cooked patrode.
Here is a Colocasia curry which is a gravy dish and goes well with almost all the dishes as a perfect side dish.

Lets see the recipe now.

Ingredients

To Cook :
Colocasia leaves/Kesu leaves : 8 to 10 leaves
Onions : 2
Green Tomatoes ) : 3 to 4
Tamarind : 1/2 Lemon size
Salt : As required
To Add :
Sambar Powder : 2 to 3 Teaspoons
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Coconut Oil : 1 Teaspoon (Optional)
Coriander leaves : 2 Tablespoons
Seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teapoon
Urid Dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Ingh : a  little
Oil : 1 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 8 to 10 leaves

Method :

1. Wash kesu leaves and cut it into small pieces. (You can add stem pieces too)

2. Wash and cut tomatoes and keep it aside.
3. Remove the outer layer of onions and wash and cut them into small pieces.
4. Soak tarmarind in warm/hot water and squeeze out the juice and keep the juice aside.
5. Keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add oil and mustard seeds and urid dal.
6. Let mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh and curry leaves.
7. Add cut onions and fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cut tomatoes and fry for a minute.

8. Add kesu leaves and fry for a minute. Add tamarind pulp, jaggery  and mix it well.
9. Add turmeric powder and salt. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

10.Add required water and mix it well. Let it boil for a minute.
11. Add sambar powder and mix. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Mix it well and shift the curry to a serving dish.

12. Add coriander leaves and fresh coconut oil/Ghee and serve with the main dish.

Note : 

Remove the outer layer of the stems if adding to the curry. Cut the leaves into thin pieces. Adding any curry powder is optional. I have added homemade sambar powder. Adding more spice is optional.
Adding little methi seeds to the curry is optional. ( It adds to the taste of the curry). Adidng garlic to the curry is optional. No added any kind of dal. Home made fresh sambar powder is used here. You can also use harive soppu/Amaranth leaves, spinach/palak or basale/ Indian Malbar leaves also can be used instead of colocasia leaves. (Tamarind pulp quantity should me minimised according to the leaves you use). You can also add fried garlic to this curry. ( I have not added). Optional. Adding coconut oil is also optional.
Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Fresh Sambar Powder 
Dry roast  1/2 Teaspoon methi seeds, 1/2 teaspoon of urid dal, 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 5 to 6 byadagi chilly, 1/4 Teaspoon of jeera/cumin seeds, a little ingh and 8 to 10 curry leaves ...and dry
grind it together. Sambar powder is ready to use.