Serves6 to 8 as a side dish
- Active time:40 min
- Start to finish:2 1/2 hr
December 2009
For stuffing
-
1
cup
chana dal (yellow split peas; black chickpeas skinned and split), picked over
-
2 to 3
teaspoon
hot red pepper flakes
-
1
teaspoon
ground cumin
-
1
teaspoon
ground coriander
-
1/2
teaspoon
ground tumeric
-
1
teaspoon
asafoetida or 1 tsp minced garlic
-
1/2
teaspoon
kosher salt (3/4 tsp fine salt)
-
1/2
teaspoon
baking powder
-
6
(10- by 12-inch) fresh taro leaves (elephant ears), or a 1 lb package fresh taro leaves
For tarka (seasoned oil)
-
2
tablespoons
vegetable oil
-
1
teaspoon
black mustard seeds
-
1
teaspoon
sesame seeds
-
1/2
lime
-
1
tablespoon
chopped cilantro
-
2
tablespoons
fresh or frozen grated unsweetened coconut, or (well-rinsed packaged sweetened flaked coconut, patted dry)
Make stuffing
-
Rinse chana dal in a bowl with several changes of cold water until water runs clear as it is poured off. Soak chana dal with enough cold water to cover by 1 inch for 1 1/2 hours.
-
Drain chana dal, then put in a food processor with 1/2 cup water and process to a grainy puree, stopping to scrape down sides and adding a little more water, if necessary, to help process. (Do not over grind and turn batter into a paste).
-
Transfer puree to a bowl and stir in pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, tumeric, asafoetida, salt, and baking powder.
Prepare taro leaves
-
Cut out stem and center ribs from leaves to make 12 halves. If leaves from a package vary greatly in size, make 3 groups of 4 like-size halves (very large leaves, up to 20 inches, can be halved again crosswise so that one leaf is enough for all four layers) and divide chana dal stuffing into 3 amounts accordingly.
Make rolls
-
Working with one group at a time and roughly 1/3 of stuffing, turn leaves dull side up and spread a spoonful of filling over each, then stack leaves and roll up loosely from one narrow end to another. Place roll, seam side down, in basket of a steamer. Repeat procedure with remaining leaves and stuffing so that you have a total of three rolls (possibly of varying sizes) in steamer basket. Bring 1-inch of water to a boil in steamer, and steam rolls 15 minutes.
-
Transfer rolls to a cutting board and cut crosswise into scant 1/2-inch pinwheel slices. Arrange slices, a cut side up, on a serving platter.
Make tarka
-
Heat oil in a small skillet or very small saucepan over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add mustard seeds, then cover skillet while seeds pop, about 1 minute. Uncover and add sesame seeds, then immediately pour oil with seeds over pinwheels. Squeeze lime juice over pinwheels then sprinkle with cilantro and coconut and serve.
