Almost every dish from every cuisine has a counterpart in another cuisine – This may be a rather sweeping statement, but it is not too far from the truth. And if they don’t it is easy enough to adapt it to your own cuisine.
This is sort of what I did with this recipe. I had these beautiful BIG Taro leaves hitting me in the eye and I knew they were edible and what’s more very tasty too.
For those of you who have not tasted taro roots, these have a brown hairy inedible skin and when peeled and roasted can taste a lot like potatoes. Taro roots are used in many different Indian preparations, depending on which part of the country you are from – The roasted south Indian version is best known to me and best liked too. 
When they are boiled and peeled, they do assume a rather slimy and squishy texture and that to me was not appealing 
for the longest time and to date I am squeamish about touching these. When we visited Pune a couple of years ago, I saw these teeny tiny kinds that the cook of the house just pinched the skins off without boiling them – She also peeled them before cooking them, an idea I have yet to try.
But getting back to the leaves, I made a green gravy type dish with it earlier and that tasted amazing. Their mere size lends itself to a wrapped dish of sorts. And ever since we tasted the dolmas in the Middle East, I have loved them, had various not to great versions of them back home in the US. They can be really oily and the rice stuffing always made me feel a bit guilty. Here I was with the taro leaves (have yet to buy grape leaves) and the remainder of the stuffing from the sweet-beet samosas and I said … hmm (not rubbing my chin) and this is what resulted from it. A sensational dish – which you’ve got to try in your own kitchen should you be fortunate enough to come across these leaves.
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Taro Leaves Dolmades
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 dolmades 1x
Description
A sensational dish – which you’ve got to try in your own kitchen should you be fortunate enough to come across these leaves.
Ingredients
- 1 extra-large taro leaf
- Olive oil or cooking spray, for brushing
For the stuffing:
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cooked, and mashed or diced
- 1 medium beetroot, cooked and finely chopped
- 3-4 oz (85-113 g) paneer, crumbled or diced small
- 2 green chilies (hot), finely chopped
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Wash the taro leaf thoroughly — like a lotus leaf, water will roll right off it.
- Trim the stem so the leaf can lie relatively flat.
- Following the leaf’s natural ridges, cut strips about 4–5 inches wide, tapering down toward the main stem.
- Combine the cooked sweet potato, beetroot, paneer, green chilies, and salt in a bowl and mix well. The stuffing must be dry and water-free — drain any excess moisture before filling.
- Place a generous spoonful of stuffing in the center of each leaf strip and fold the leaf over to wrap. There should be enough leaf for a full fold and wrap. An extra-large leaf should yield 6–8 wraps.
- Lightly brush or spray the outside of each wrap with olive oil.
- Arrange in a steamer (an idli steamer works well) and steam over medium heat for 12–15 minutes. The leaf is cooked when it turns dark green and looks glossy.
Notes
The stuffing must be solid and water-free — wet fillings make the leaf soggy and the wraps fall apart. Traditional dolmades use a rice stuffing, but any dry, well-seasoned filling works here. Cook taro leaves thoroughly; they should never be eaten raw.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Appetizer
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 dolmade
- Calories: 70
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to eat taro leaves, and do they need any special preparation?
Taro leaves must always be cooked — never eaten raw. Raw taro contains calcium oxalate crystals that cause a painful burning sensation in the mouth and throat. Steam thoroughly for 12-15 minutes. The leaves are completely safe once fully cooked and turn dark green and glossy when done.
Why must the filling be completely dry?
A wet filling makes the leaf soggy from the inside out, and the wraps fall apart during and after steaming. Drain all excess moisture from the cooked sweet potato and beetroot before combining them. The stuffing should hold its shape when pressed — if it feels watery, squeeze it through a clean cloth.
How do I know when the taro leaf wraps are cooked?
Steam over medium heat for 12-15 minutes. The wraps are done when the leaf has turned from bright to dark green and looks glossy. The leaf should be completely tender with no chalkiness when you bite into it. An idli steamer works well; so does any steamer with enough space for the wraps to sit without touching.
WARNING: Taro roots and leaves are very high in calcium oxalate and should NEVER been consumed raw – Matter of fact well cooked/fried are the best ways to go. Calcium Oxalate causes kidney stones, but all burns right through your mouth, throat and esophagus if eaten raw – the remedy should one accidentally consume it raw is 1) benedryl to avert allergic reactions 2) cold milk/buttermilk/ 3)tums or other calcium supplement to ease the irritation of the stomach lining. (as you may guess, this is the voice of experience)
Dear Sivam,
Let me tell you that Taro leaves need to be cooked to death – It is very high in oxalates and cooking them nicely gets rid of it, almost. They taste fabulous, as I already wrote. So if you want to make a kootu or just a side subji of it, just chop them fine and pressure cook it along or separate from the dal. You could also try soaking it in lime juice or tamarind water- these are experiments I have not done, but ideas that are coming to mind as I write this.
Good luck :)
Priya
Dear Priya, spent long time to find out how some one cooks just taro leaves. almost all of them has pigs or chick peas in it . Can taro leaves go by itself like in the palak panneer, with out the panneer in it.I suppose steam just the leaves blend it and add to the spices. some times it can have a dhal like south Indian way. Patra wadi needs more time and is steamed about 15 minutes and eaten, so steam just the leaves blend and mix with spice or saute. I have market bought taro planted last year and leaves came out beautifully, now it is in side waiting to go out. Lots leaves, not as big as with sun, but looks healthier. When i was visiting India I told our friend Nagpoorien, to bring taro leaves from Nagpore, she didn’t bring. Here i am in Seattle moderate cold,zone 8-9 I have taro leaves growing. Love to your family. Sivam