Udupi-Mangalore cuisine/coastal cuisine is filled with some distinctive dishes that have a brilliant mix of sweet yet spicy flavours. Along with the high usage of jaggery in the recipes, you can also observe that coastal people love the flavor of coconut in most of the dishes.

One among those dishes is the Pathrode which is an elaborate delicacy generally prepared using the colocasia leaves. They have a very distinctive flavor.

A few days back when we visited a close friend in Boston, she made this for us and it tasted heavenly! I was surprised to know that she used Collard greens instead of the colocasia leaves.

I always had a mental block when it comes to making pathrode using colocasia for a simple reason that the leaves cause itchiness if not cooked well. So I was overjoyed to know that there is an alternative to the Colocasia Leaves. This Pathrode recipe was given to me by my mom.

So here is the recipe inspired by my friend Neema 🙂 Thanks Neema!

RECIPE:

Video Link: Collard Greens Pathrode

Preparation time: 30-40 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves: 3 people

INGREDIENTS:

Collard Greens – 6 to 8 leaves – washed and veins trimmed.

To Grind:

Coriander seeds – 4 to 5 tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 2 tbsp

Dry red chillies – 4 to 5 (or as per the spice level needed)

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp (generous amount gives a nice flavour)

Idli Rice – 2 cups (soaked for about 1 hr)

Tamarind paste – 4 to 5 tbsp

Jaggery – 4 tbsp (or more if you need more sweetness)

Shredded Coconut – 1/4 cup

Salt – as per taste

For tempering:

Coconut oil – 2 tbsp

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Dry red chillies – 1 or 2

Asafoetida – 1/4 tsp

METHOD:

Soak the idli rice for about 1 hr.

In a pan, sauté the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies and asafoetida for a couple of minutes. You need not dry roast the spices.

Grind the spices into coarse powder.

Next, add the shredded coconut, Jaggery and tamarind paste. Grind into a fine paste.

Grind the above paste with the soaked rice. Add about a cup of water to grind into a batter consistency. You can grind it in a wet grinder or a mixer or blender.

Meanwhile, prepare the collard leaves. Wash and pat them dry. Remove the thick stems on the leaves so it is easier to roll them.

Once the batter is ready, add a scoop of the batter on the backside of the leaves. Spread it well. Roll and steam for about 15 minutes.

**If using instant pot – Steam on high for 15-18 minutes and do a Natural Pressure Release. 

Once done, chop the steamed pathrode and keep it aside.

In a pan, prepare the tempering using the ingredients mentioned under the ‘For tempering’ section.

Add the chopped pathrode to this and mix well. At the end, you can garnish with some dry coconut.

Serve hot and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or chai 🙂