Patrel (Spicy Colocasia Leaf Rolls)
Colocasia leaves wrapped around a sweet, tangy flour-and-spice filling, then cooked and fried.
View recipeExplore the meat-free side of Vividh Vani through eight recipes for leaf rolls, lentils, rice and vegetables. This selection pairs familiar ingredients such as pumpkin and red lentils with preparations that reward a little more exploration, including patrel and umbariyu. Every recipe links to its own ingredients and method.
For a first meal, pair Masoor Dal with Coconut Milk Pulao. Add Sweet and Sour Red Pumpkin for a contrast of tamarind and jaggery. Choose patrel when you want a more involved cooking project, or umbariyu when you can find its beans, green garlic and root vegetables. These pairings are our suggestions, not a reconstructed historical menu.
Vividh Vani is a Gujarati cookbook associated with Parsi author Meherbai Jamsetjee Wahadia. Its range includes dishes shared with neighbouring food traditions. We have selected recipes recorded in that book, rather than claiming that every dish originated in Parsi kitchens. The linked versions include modern measurements and explanatory changes; the edition used for this archive has not yet been confirmed.
Colocasia leaves wrapped around a sweet, tangy flour-and-spice filling, then cooked and fried.
View recipeRice and pigeon peas enriched with coconut milk, saffron, fried onions, almonds and raisins.
View recipeA pot of beans, eggplants and root vegetables coated with coriander, garlic and spices.
View recipePumpkin cooked with onions, tamarind and jaggery for a sweet-sour accompaniment to rice.
View recipeBitter gourd balanced with tamarind, jaggery and an onion-and-spice base.
View recipePigeon peas and vegetables finished with ghee and spices in a community-feast preparation.
View recipeRed lentils with an onion-and-spice tempering: our suggested starting point for this collection.
View recipeRice cooked in coconut milk with onions, ghee and whole spices.
View recipeThe eight selected ingredient lists contain no eggs, meat or fish. Several use ghee, so this is not a vegan collection. Check the full ingredient list before choosing a recipe.
Start with Masoor Dal if you have red lentils, onions and spices. Choose Saffron Khichdi for a more elaborate rice-and-lentil dish, or Patrel for a leaf-rolling project.