About Patra
Patra (also called patrode or alu vadi) is made by layering colocasia (taro) leaves with a sweet-savoury-tangy paste of gram flour, tamarind, jaggery and spices, then rolling them up, steaming the rolls and slicing them into spirals. The slices are pan-fried or tempered with mustard and sesame.
Each spiral shows off the green-and-gold layers, and the taste is a classic Gujarati balance of sweet, sour and spicy. It’s a beloved farsan and a clever way to turn a humble leaf into something special.
Patra are made from the large heart-shaped leaves of colocasia, known in Gujarati as patra or arbi leaves. Each leaf is laid flat, veins trimmed down so it will roll, and smeared with a thick paste of gram flour worked with tamarind, jaggery, ginger, green chilli, turmeric and salt.
Several leaves are stacked with paste between them, folded in at the sides and rolled tightly into a log, which is then steamed until the paste has set firm and the leaves are completely tender. This last point matters: raw colocasia leaf is sharply irritating to the throat because of the calcium oxalate it contains, and thorough steaming along with the acidity of the tamarind is what neutralises it.
The steamed roll is cooled, sliced into rounds, and finished either with a tempering of mustard and sesame seeds poured over, or by shallow-frying the slices until the edges are crisp. Fresh coconut and coriander go over the top, and the spirals of green leaf and pale paste in each slice are half the appeal.
The story
Patra makes the most of the broad colocasia leaf, abundant in Gujarat’s gardens and farms. The dish spread across western India — Maharashtra knows it as alu vadi — with each region tweaking the sweet-sour balance.
Key ingredients
How it's made
Make the paste
Besan is mixed with tamarind, jaggery and spices into a thick paste.
Layer & roll
Leaves are smeared, stacked and rolled into tight logs.
Steam
The rolls are steamed until firm, then cooled and sliced.
Temper or fry
Slices are pan-fried or tempered with mustard and sesame; garnished with coconut.
How it tastes
Patra are sweet, sour and savoury all at once, with tamarind and jaggery worked into the gram-flour paste giving a distinctly tangy edge that sets them apart from other steamed farsan. The rolled leaf layers stay soft and slightly chewy, the paste firms around them, and the sesame in the tempering adds a nutty crunch.
Where to eat it
Farsan shops sell patra ready-steamed and sliced, often shallow-fried to order. They are a common home preparation wherever colocasia grows, which in Gujarat means the wetter southern districts in particular, and the leaves are sold in bundles in vegetable markets through the season.
Worth seeking out
Steamed Patra
Soft spirals straight from the steamer.
Fried Patra
Pan-crisped for crunchy edges.
Alu Vadi
The Maharashtrian cousin, usually less sweet.
Pairs well with
On the table
Patra are a tea-time and thali item, eaten as farsan alongside a meal or as a snack in their own right. They are seasonal to the extent that the leaves are, appearing most reliably during and after the monsoon when colocasia is growing, and they are a common festival and gathering dish.
If you liked this, try Handvo and Sev Khamani from the same family.
Foodie tips
Good to know
What is patra made from?
Colocasia (taro) leaves layered with a spiced gram-flour paste, rolled, steamed and sliced into spirals.
Is patra the same as alu vadi?
Essentially yes — alu vadi is the Maharashtrian name; Gujarati patra is usually a touch sweeter and more tangy.
Does patra irritate the throat?
Raw colocasia leaves can be itchy, but tamarind in the paste and proper steaming neutralise it completely.
How is patra served?
As steamed soft spirals or pan-fried crisp slices, tempered with mustard and sesame and garnished with coconut.
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