Colocasia leaves fritters - " rickwanch "

RICKWANCH is a strange, unusual name......the origin of which is not certain......rickwanch is almost a year round treat...made of tender colocasia leaves....it can be served a s a snack or a side dish......this dish is becoming increasingly rare in most homes. We still cook it sometimes in fond memory of our childhood days. I do hope , once you've eaten this delicious treat, you would try and make it more often. A little effort, planning and time is required to make this dish, but the end product is well worth all the effort....enjoy 'rickwanch' with hot masala chai on a rainy afternoon.......

Recipe for Rickwanch

SERVES : 6

Prep time : 6 hrs
Cooking time : 1/2 hr

INGREDIENTS

tender colocasia leaves                              9 nos
chana dal (split yellow gram)                     100 gms
rice                                                          50 gms
turmeric powder                                      1/2 tsp
red chilli powder                                      1/4 tsp
amchur (dry mango) powder                    1/2 tsp
ginger paste                                             1 tsp
garlic paste                                              1 tsp
green chilli paste                                      1/2 tsp
garam masal (indian spice mix) powder    1/4 tsp
salt                                                          to taste
oil of your choice to shallow fry
I prefer using mustard oil for it's pungent flavour

METHOD

• Wash and soak chana dal (split yellow gram ) in 2 cups water for 4-5 hrs
• Wash and soak rice in 1 cup water for 4-5 hrs
• 45 mins before serving time drain the rice and dal 
• wash the wipe dry the colocasia leaves
• grind the rice and dal together to a fine paste. add very little water only if required to move the blender
• add the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and all the dry spices and salt
• cut the thick stalk off the leaves
• lay one leaf vein side up on a board
• spread an even, thin layer of the dal/rice/spice mix on the leaf
• put another leaf on top of the spread vein side up
• take care to align the edges of the leaves carefully
• spread the spice mix in a thin layer over this leaf too
• repeat process with another leaf
• hold the edge of the leaves and make a tight roll, rolling away from you
• the roll should resemble a swiss roll
• make another roll with the remaining 3 leaves and the spice mix
• put the rolls in a steamer for 5 mins , alternatively microwave covered for 3 mins
• rest covered for 10 mins
• cut the roll laterally into 1 inch pieces making pinwheels
• heat a non stick pan, pour 1 tbsp oil 
• shallow fry the rolls on medium heat till the outer covering is brown
• serve hot

Nutritive Value

Colocasia leaves a rich source of iron.

Variation

One can make a mild tomato gravy and add the fried rolls to it, to make a delectable side dish to be served with steamed rice