Colocassia (Kesu) Leaves and Stem Curry

Kesu or Colocassia leaves  dishes are very famous in South Canara. The weather conditions are very good for these plants. We do many preparations using these leaves and stems. For example Patrode a traditional food is loved by all. Even Gujarathi side they too prepare similar food using Colocassia leaves. These leaves grow well during winter and rainy season. It helps to keep the body warm.
The leaves and stems are also used for chutney or some curries. Here is a colocassia leaves and stem curry and I have used Bajji Menasiana Kai ( Bonda Chilly ) which adds a flavour and taste to the curry.

Lets see some benefits of eating Colocassia Leaves.
Colocassia leaves and roots contain Protein. It is one of the good dietary fiber. It contain less fat and zero cholesterol. It contain the minerals like sodium, potassium, copper, iron, calcium, manganese, magnesium and zinc. They also contain Vitamin C, Vitamin Aand Vitamin K. It is an anti oxidant and promote good health.
Here is a recipe of  "Colocassia Leaves and Stems" curry can be eaten with plain rice, roti, chapati, poori, Idli and dosa.

Things Needed :

Colocassia Leaves : 8 to 10
Green Bajji Chilly : 2
Red Chilly : 4 to 5
Urid Dal : 2 Tea spoons
Coriander Seeds : 1 Table spoon
Methi Seeds : 1/4 Tea spoon
Jeera : 1/2 Tea spoon
Tamarind Pulp : 3 to 4 Table spoons
Jaggery : 3 to 4 Table spoons
Coconut : 1 Cup
Salt : to taste
Oil : 1 1/2 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Methi seeds : 4 to 5 seeds
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6

Method ;

1. Wash and remove the back strip slightly on the leaves and cut stems and leaves into small.  Remove the seeds from Bajji Chilly and Cut in to small.

2. Soak tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp and keep the pulp aside. Grate coconut and keep it aside.

3. Keep a small pan on the fire and heat. Add  1/2 tea spoon of oil.
4. Add methi seeds and urid dal and fry on low flame till they turn slightly brown.
5. Add coriander seeds, red chilly, 3 to 4 curry leaves and fry for 1 minute and put off the gas.

6. Add jeera and mix all the ingredients well. Add coconut.


7. Grind this fried spice mixture and coconut with little water till paste and keep it aside.

8. Now keep a pan on the fire and heat. Add a spoon of oil. Add mustard seeds and methi seeds.(not more than 4 to 5 ). Add little jeera.
9. Let the mustard seeds splutter. Add ingh( Asafoetida) and curry leaves.

10 Add cut colocassia leaves, stems and cut green chilly. Mix it nicely.
11.Add tamarind pulp, salt and turmeric powder. Let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes on low flame.
12. Add jaggery and mix it well. Let it boil for 1 minute.

13. Add ground coconut mixture and add little water. Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

14. Stir in between and put the colocassia curry to a serving dish.

15. Serve with hot rice and a spoon of fresh ghee.

Note :

1. The tamarind pulp should be used exactly ( or the leaves may give out itching irritation while eating) . Adding more or less jaggery is optional. Adding Onions and garlic is also optional. Adding onions and garlic taste differ. Do not use more methi seeds since it might give bitter taste. Adding Bajji Menasina kai ( Bonda chilly ) is also an optional.
Serves : 3 to4 
Time : 20 minutes.

Ridge gourd- Sesame Chutney

Chutney is a side dish and we can prepare many types of chutneys. Chutney is normally one of the side dish and goes well with Plain rice, any mixed masala rice, with roti, chapati, dosa idli etc.
We especially South Canara side people do prepare chutneys from peel/ the outer layer of many vegetables. Here is such one of the chutney and it can be prepared easily and it is 100% yemmy and healthy chutney.  I have used Ridge gourd peel, Kesu leaves stem (Colocasia leaves) (optional), Sesame seeds and  Coconut.

Let us see some benefits of Sesame seeds:
Sesame seeds are one of the oldest condiments known to man. They are excellent source of copper and very good source of manganese, calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, vitamin B1,zinc, and dietary fiber.It also contain the beneficial fiber called Lignans.Sesame seeds are rich in quality vitamins and minerals. They are very good sources of B complex vitamins. Sesame seeds are full of high quality protein. Sesame seeds contain magnesium and other nutrients. and also improve plasma glucose in hypersensitive diabetics. They help to reduce blood pressure. They help to lower Cholesterol and good for digestion since the high content of fiber in sesame seeds help to digest the food. They are very good for healthy skin. The high content of zinc in sesame helps repair the damaged body tissue. Having so many good qualities of sesame seeds needs to be added in our daily diet.

Here is a spicy " Ridge gourd- Sesame Chutney"  which can be prepared easily and as I said this dish can be served as side dish with main dish. It will be surely loved by the whole family and fits the taste of all age group. 

Things Needed :

Ridge gourd skin. ( Outer layer) :  2 Cups
Sesame Seeds : 2 Table spoons.
Red chilly : 5 to 6
Coriander seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Green Chilly
Turmeric powder : a pinch
Coconut : 1 Cup
Tamarind : Small marble size
Salt : required
Oil : 1 Tea spoon
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Ingh : a pinch
Curry leaves : 1 Handful

Method :

1. Wash and remove the edges or scratch out the edges and wash the ridge gourd again. Remove the outer skin and cut it into small. Cook them in a pressure cooker with little water, salt, tamarind, turmeric powder, green chilly and coriander seeds. Let it cool.

2. Roast or fry sesame seeds till they are brown (pop up) with red chilly, curry leaves and ingh.

3. Grate coconut.
4. Grind cooked and cooled ridge gourd skin, roasted or fried sesame seeds, coconut with little water.

5. Add salt if required. Remove Chutney from the liquidizer. (Mixi) to  a serving bowl.

6. Add mustard seeds- curry leaves ingh spurt to the chutney and serve with the main dish you have prepared.

Note :

I have also added Colocasia leaves stems while cooking ridge gourd skins. we can also use only colocasia stems and prepare this chutney. It is purely optional. It adds to the flavour and fully fiber.
Adding more or less chilly is also optional. You can add thin cut onions just before serving chutney. (optional).

Time : 15 Minutes.
Serves : 4 to 5  
  My next recipe will be Raagi - Jolada Rotti using this spicy chutney.  ( Finger Millet + Millet   Flour Rotti ).

PATRODE FRY or Kallu Patrode.

PATRODE FRY OR kallu Patrode is a traditional dish, and its normally eaten with rice.  Can use as side dish also. It should be eaten as hot.

Things needed:
Kesu leaves : 15 to 20
Raw Rice : 2 cups.
Coriander Seeds : 3 to 4 Table spoons.
Methi ( Fenugrik seeds) : 1/2 tea spoon.
Jeera : 1 Table spoon.
Red chillies: 10 to 15.
Tamarind : One handful ball size.
Jaggery : 1/2 a cup ( powder or smash it )
Salt: to taste.
Urd Daal : 1 Tea spoon.
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tea spoon.
Ingh: a pinch.
Coconut : 1 cup.( Fresh and grated).
Oil. : 6 to 8 Table spoons.

Method :
Wash kesu leaves nicely and clean them and  keep it aside. Wash rice, methi and urd daal and soak for 3 to 4 hours. Grind this soaked rice with all the spices except jaggery.( Coriander seeds , jeera, red chillies, tamarind, ingh and coconut ).with little water. Grind it well till its nicely ground.  Add jaggery and salt and grind it until its well mixed. Remove from the jar.  Now take each kesu leaf and apply the ground  rice paste all over the leaf. Add one more on the top of the dough applied leaf and apply the paste. Repeat the same.and roll all the leaves at once tightly and keep it aside.  Now keep a tava  on the fire and heat.  Add one table spoon of oil and spread it.  Cut those rolls in to small round shape and arrange it on the tava and sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoon of oil over it. Cover with lid and cook on low flame until they turn brown. Turn each roll and cook the other side of the roll till they turn brown.   Repeat the same with the rest .  Serve them with hot rice or  with  jaggery and butter.
Note : Proper quantity of tamarind should be used while grinding rice. Other wise the leaf causes itchy while eating and you will not be able eat that. Cook on the low flame. Can use little more jaggery if  you like sweet taste. We call it this as Kallu Patrode since we use dosa tava to shallow fry these patrodes.
Serves: 4 to 5

Pathrode Gasi ( Patrode with Gravy).

Pathrode is a very famous dish in Dakshina Kannada. Patra means leaves ode means some spicy bite. Patrode is prepared using colocasia/Kesu leaves. These leaves are very healthy and helps to take care of the body temperature during rainy season and winter. The leaves grow nicely during rainy season and varieties of dishes prepared using this leaves. Patrode, patrode seasoned, tava patrode (kallu patrode), fried patrode and curry patrode ( Gasi ). Patrode is prepared and dipped in the coconut gravy and cooked as curry and eaten. This spicy dish is very yummy to eat and this fills the stomach.It is normally done for lunch or as snack or even for dinner. Patode can be done using Palak /Spinach leaves too. (They will turn little more soft).
Gasi means thick. Patrode gasi is eaten as they are cooked in the thick gravy. This is one of the traditional dish from Udupi, Mangalore and Malnad.

No Onion or Garlic added in this recipe. 

Things Needed :

Cooked Pathrodes - 2 to 3 cups ( 4 to 6  Cooked pathrodes should be cut in to small pieces).
Oil : 2 Tea spoon (Coconut oil)
Coconut : 4 To 6 Table spoons.( Fresh and grated).
Coriander Seeds : 3 Tea spoons
Jeera : 1 Tea spoon
Red Chillies : 5 to 6
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Table spoons ( Soak Tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp).
Mustard Seeds : 1/2 Tea spoon
Urd Daal : 1/2 Tea spoon
Curry leaves _ 6 to 8 leaves
Asafotodia or Ingh : a pinch
Salt : to taste.

Method :

1. Cut cooked patrode in to pieces and keep it aside.

2. Grate coconut and grind it with tamarind, coriander seeds, jeera and 3 to 4 red chilly.

3. Keep a pan on the fire and put coconut oil. Heat and put mustard seeds, urdi dal. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and ingh.
 Add ground coconut spice mixture. Add required water make it little liquidy. (like gravy).

4. Add required salt, turmeric powder and let the gravy cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

5. Add cut patrode pieces and mix it well. Let the curry cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Shift it to the serving dish.

Add coriander leaves and serve.

Note : 

You can  also use roast spices and then grind it along with coconut. The taste differ.   ( Roast 1/4 spoon of Fenugreek seeds and add coriander seeds chillies  and roast nicely. Add jeera at the end and grind this mixture along with coconut).  See that methi seeds do not get burnt while roasting . Roast on low flame. Using coconut oil is optional. You can use any kind of edible oil. Adding jaggery to the gasi is optional.
Time : 10 minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4.

Patrode Preparation

Things needed :

Kesu /Colocasia leaves : 8 to 10.
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Toor dal :1/2 cup
Raw rice : 2 cups
Red chilly 6 to 8
Coriander seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Jeera : 1 Teaspoon
Methi seeds : 1 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1 Tablespoon
Tamarind : a small lemon size
Jaggery : 2 Tablespoons
Salt : to taste

Method :

Wash all the leaves and remove the stem behind the leaves and keep it aside. Soak rice , urid dal, toor dal. methi seeds for 2 hours and grind them with coconut, daniya seeds, jeera, red chilly and tamarind.
Add jeggary, salt and grind at the end and remove from the mixi jar. Add salt and mix it well.
Just spread one leaf and spread the dough on it nicely. Add one more leaf on the top of the first one and spread the dough. Repeat the same on one more leaf.  (not more than 4 leaves ).
Fold the sided to the center and roll them like chapati roll.
Arrange them on a plate and steam cook in Idly cooker or pressure cooker for 25 to 30 minutes.
Prick it a knife edge to know that is cooked well. Patrode is done if the dough does not stick to the knife edge.
Patrode is ready to serve.