I had never seen or read about this recipe in any food channels or books before.  I just started thinking how can I give my best twist to this wonderful and healthy Indian Snack’s dish, and came up with this recipe.  This dish is very popular all around India, specially during rainy season when we have a crave to eat deep fried foods.  Also Fresh Aaloo (Colocasis) leaves are available in huge quantity in markets during rainy seasons in India.   It’s raining heavily in Mumbai, India and was the perfect time to cook this dish.  You should definitely try this dish at home.

Recipe:

Indgredients:

  • Fresh Colocasis (Arbi or Aaloo) Leaves – 4 to 6 large size.  
  • Fresh Chicken Breasts (Boneless) – 4 pieces. 
  • Coriander seeds – 2 tbs.
  • Kalaunji (Onion seeds)- 1 tbs.
  • Jeera (Cummin) seeds – 1 tsp.
  • Lawang (Cloves) – 4 pieces.
  • Dal Chini (Cinnamon sticks) – 2 inch.
  • Elaichi (Green Cardamom) – 4 (de-skinnned and use only seeds).
  • Jai Phal flower (Nutmeg) – 2 pieces.
  • Kaali Miri (Black pepper) – 1 tsp.
  • Til (Seasame seeds) – 4 tbs.
  • Hing (Asephateda) powder – Half tsp.
  • Laal Mirch (Red chilli) powder – 2 tbs.
  • Haldi (Tumeric) powder – 1 tsp.
  • Cooking oil for deep frying.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Fresh Coriander Leaves – Hand full.
  • Fresh Curry leaves – 4 to 5 petals.
  • Green Chill – 2 medium length.
  • Lime Juice – 2 tbs.
  • Aamchur (Dry Mango) powder – 1 tsp.
  • Besan (Gram Flour) – 6 to 8 tbs.
  • Water – as required to mix with Besan.

Method:

  • Arbi (Colocasis) Leaves – Remove the stems, clean with water and dip it is salt water for 10 minutes before use.  Remove and place it on the dry surface.
  • Take the Chicken Breast pieces.  Cut it from the middle vertically. Place it on flat hard surface.  Use meat hammer and hammer the breast pieces gentlly until it is totally flat and thin.  Do this for all the chicken breast pieces and keep them aside.
  • Take a pan and heat it up.  Add Coriander seeds, Jeera, Kalaunji, Cinnamoon stick, Black pepper, Cloves, Cardamom seeds, and dry roast these masalas. 
  • Crush these dry roasted garam masalas on a stone grinder or crusher or Stone Mortar until it turns into a powder.  Remove just One tbs of this masala powder to mix with Besan at later stage.  Keep rest of the masala powder in the Stone Mortar. 
  • Add Green Coriander leaves, Lime juice, Curry leaves, Green Chillis, Salt to taste, One tsp of cooking oil, Tumeric powder, One tbs of Red Chilli powder, 2 tbs of water, to the Stone Mortar along with powdered garam masalas.  Crush all these ingredients until it turns into a thick paste.  
  • Add the above thick masala paste on both sides of chicken sheets properly.  Do this for rest of the chicken sheets.  Let it marinate for at least 15 minutes.
  • Take a mixing bowl.  Add Asephateda powder, Besan (Gram flour), Salt to taste, dry Mango powder, Tumeric powder, One tbs of Red Chilli powder, Sesame seeds, mix them well.  Add water little by little and continue to mix them well.  The Besan batter mixture should have a thick consistency. 
  • Place the Arbi (Colocasia) Leaf on flat surface.  Take the Besan batter mixture and rub it well on the surface of the leaf evenly with a very thin layer of Besan batter mixture.
  • Place marinated flat chicken breast sheets on one (half) side of the leaf on the Besan batter mixture.
  • Gently start rolling the leaf from the chicken side up to the other end.  Seal both the sides with Besam batter mixture as you keep rolling the leaf.  Once done, cut it into half.  Do this for all the remaining Colocasis (Aaloo or Arbi) leafs.
  • Place a steamer on the heat.  Once hot and steaming, place the above leaf rolls on the steamer and steam it for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the rolled leafs from the steamer after 20 minutes, and cut them evenly into 2 inch width size and keep them aside.  Do this for all remaining Steam Leaf rolls.
  • Place a Kadai or deep frying Pan on the heat.  Add sufficient cooking oil in it for deep frying and heat it up.
  • Once the oil is hot enough, gently place the Leaf pieces into the hot oil.  Fry it until it turns crisp (normaly it takes 3 to 4 minutes) and place it on a tissue paper surface to remove excess oil.  Do this for all the remaining Leaf pieces.
  • Place the fried, hot and crispy Aaloo or Arbi (Colocasis) Leaf Chicken Wadi on a serving plate.  Serve it with Tomato Ketchup or any other sauce or chutney of your choice.
  • Aaloo or Arbi (Colocasis) Leaf Chicken Wadi is ready to eat.
  • Happy Eating.