Patra or Indian Vegetarian Sushi

 

Ingredients:

• colocassia leaves – 15-20
• Tamarind juice – one cup
• Besan/chick pea flour – 2 cups
• Chilly powder – one tsp
• Crushed cumin – One tbsp
• Crushed fennel seeds – one tbsp
• Sesame seeds – one tbsp
• Oregano seeds – one tsp
• Sugar – one tbsp
• Salt - 1 ½ tsp

Directions

1. Wash and stem the leaves. Keep the vein side up and roll them flat with a rolling pin. This helps to roll them evenly. Else the veins will stick out and very hard to roll flat.
2. Mix the chick pea flour with all the dry ingredients.
3. You can either soak a lime size tamarind in one cup water and puree it or take about ½ tsp of tamarind paste and dilute them in one cup water.>
   
4. Add the tamrind water to the dry flour and spices mix them into a paste not too watery but to a consistency which will help you spread.


5. Now sort the similar sized leaves into 4 or 5 groups


6. Laying the leaves facing the veins side up spread a thin layer of the paste evenly.


7. Now place another leaf on top and repeat the process until you stack 4 leaves.


8. Now start rolling the leaf from the broad base side to the sharp tip tightly.


9. Repeat the process and roll all the leaves and set aside


10. Steam the rolled leaves on a steamer as it is


11. Steam for about 30-40 minutes, you will start to see the leaves turning color and the paste hardening.


12. Remove the steamer from flame and open and cool the rolls.


13. Now cut into 1.5 inch slices.


14. You can season them with sesame seeds and mustard seeds and garnish with coconut. Coconut is optional


15. Sesasoning: Place a small pan on the stove, add a tbsp of oil and when it is hot add a tsp of mustard seeds and sesame seeds and let is splutter and then pour it on the patra slices. Just add freshly grated coconuts if desired.