Goodness wrapped in a leaf: Patrode now identified as ‘traditional food recipe from AYUSH system of medicine’

Team Udayavani, Jun 30, 2021, 1:41 PM IST

Mangaluru: Patrode, a Mangalorean dish, popular during the monsoons will always be a favorite dish to the coastal belt people. This is a laborious dish made with shredded colocasia leaves (called alwache kolay in Konkani, arbi in Hindi, alu in Marathi, and sempu in Tamil) and a rice and black gram paste that is mixed together, patted onto teak tree leaves in a thick one-inch layer, packed and tied tightly, and then steamed.

The resultant rice cakes are then sliced, coated with a chili-salt-vinegar paste called meet-mirsang that you will find in every Mangalurean kitchen, and fried. Alternatively, you can add it to meat gravies making it a one-pot meal.

Patrode is now one of the ‘traditional food recipes from the AYUSH system of medicine’ by the Union Ministry of AYUSH. It is one among 26 traditional recipes selected by the Ministry while preparing a booklet, which is also available in the e-format on its website.

The handbook, with photographs of each dish, has explanations about their ingredients, method of preparation, health benefits and contraindications.

In addition to Kerala where Patrode is called ‘chembila appam’, the dish is also prepared in parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat and the North East region. Patrode is widely cooked in coastal and Malnad belts during the rainy season. A variant of colocasia leaves, which grows on tree trunks during the monsoon, is in huge demand for making the dish.

“Iron-rich colocasia leaves aid in boosting the hemoglobin degree. The fallen leaves have phenols, tannins, flavonoids, glycosides as well as sterols, which aid in decreasing persistent swelling such as rheumatoid joint inflammation. The fallen leaves have substantial quantities of vitamin C as well as beta carotene,” according to the Ministry.

Few standard dishes chosen by the Ministry are peya (medicated rice difficult), lajardraka (puffed paddy ginger granules), amalaki panaka (Indian gooseberry beverage), amla squash, takra (buttermilk), khalam’ (medicated buttermilk), yusha (medicated soup), rasala (medicated curd), ragi as well as banana shake, as well as niger seeds laddu.

In the beginning of the manual, Joint Assistant in the Ministry Roshan Jaggi stated that while launching celebratory postal stamps as well as circulation of Yoga exercise Honors on August 30, 2019, Head Of State Narendra Modi had actually supported motivating standard food dishes as well as making them a component of the food practices of individuals. “The goal is to develop understanding in the neighborhood concerning AYUSH based healthy and balanced food practices,” he stated.