Stuffed Taro Plant Leaf Curry(Senai Elai Paruppu Usili)

Taro is a tropical plant grown primarily as a root vegetable for its edible root and secondarily as a leaf vegetable.

It is considered a In its raw form the plant is toxic due to the presence of calcium oxalate,although the toxin

is destroyed by cooking or can be removed by steeping taro roots in cold water overnight.

Typical of leaf vegetables, taro leaves are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a good source of thiamin,

riboflavin, iron, phosphorus, and zinc, and a very good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, niacin, potassium,

copper, and manganese. Oxalic acid may is present in the leaf, and these foods should be eaten with milk or other

foods rich in calcium in order to remove the oxalate in the digestive tract. Absorbing a large quantity of the oxalate ion

into the blood stream poses health risks, especially for people with kidney disorders, gout, or rheumatoid

arthritis. Calcium in the body reacts with the oxalate to form calcium oxalate, which is highly insoluble and

is suspected to cause kidney stones.

Preparation Time – 20 Minutes

Cooking Time – 25 Minutes

Serves – 4

Ingredients

Taro Leaves – 2

Channa Dal – 1/4 cup

Toor Dal – 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Green Chili – 1 or more to taste

Salt – 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp/paste – 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder – 1/4 tsp

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup

Coconut Oil – 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds – 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida – pinch

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

water

Method

1) Rinse, drain and soak Channa Dal and Toor Dal for an hour.

2) After an hour, drain the water completely and add the turmeric powder, asafoetida,

green chili, salt and grind into a fine paste adding very little water as required. Add

the tamarind paste to the ground paste and mix thoroughly.

3) Wash the taro leaves and using your hands gently press them down and take half

the ground paste and apply evenly throughout the leaf using your fingers.

4) Now roll the leaf keeping the paste inside as you would for a pinwheel cookie or

cinnamon rolls.

5) Repeat the same thing for the other leaf, now in a steamer or pressure cooker

steam these two leaves for 15 minutes.

6) After 15 minutes, take the leaf roll out and leave them for 10 minutes to cool down.

7) Taking a small knife, cut the roll into small pieces, slightly thinner than a cinnamon roll.

8) Heat a pan add oil, once it is hot add the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.

9) After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add these cut rolls and gently stir to coat

the oil evenly throughout, garnish with grated coconut and serve.

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