Alu Vadi is a dish loved by young and old alike! Children may not enjoy the regular alu curry, but they will never say no to these delicious rolls. Today, I’ll share with you the Goan way of making Alu Vadi. Usually, Alu Vadi is made using gram flour; but in Goa, it is prepared with a paste of soaked rice and green gram.
As soon as the monsoon begins, large leaves with long stems of the alu (colocasia) plant become available in Goa. Goan women prepare various curries from these leaves, but the most popular of all is Alu Vadi.
So, let’s see how to make this special dish.
Ingredients for making Alu VAdi
Colocasia (Alu) leaves: 4–5
Green gram (moong): 1 cup
Rice: 1 cup
Bengal gram dal: ½ cup
Freshly grated coconut: 1 cup
Dry red chilies: 7–8
Black pepper: ½ teaspoon
Finely chopped coriander leaves: 1 bowl
Ginger: 1-inch piece
Tamarind: lemon-sized ball
Jaggery: 1 tablespoons
Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon
Salt: to taste
Method of making Alu Vadi
Soak the green gram, rice, and chana dal for 5–6 hours, or overnight if preparing in the morning.
Separate the stems from the colocasia leaves and wash the leaves thoroughly.
Grind together the soaked rice, green gram, chana dal, grated coconut, red chilies, black pepper, coriander, ginger, and tamarind into a smooth paste.
Mix turmeric, salt, and jaggery into this paste.
Spread one colocasia leaf flat and evenly coat it with the paste using a spoon.
Place another leaf on top and spread another layer of paste.
Repeat the process with 4–5 leaves, layering paste in between.
Once the layers are ready, roll the stack tightly into a log.
9. Heat some water in a pot and place a greased steamer plate or colander over it.
10. When the steam starts rising, place the rolled log of alu leaves onto the steamer.
11. Cover and steam for about 15 minutes.
12. Once cooked, switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
13. Cut the roll into thick slices.
14. Shallow fry these slices on a pan with little oil until golden and slightly crisp.
And there you have it — tasty, crispy Alu Vadi! You can enjoy it as is, or serve it with tomato ketchup, sauce, or chutney.
