IDLI

‘Idli’ is a tasty dish from South India –and a very healthy one as well! With dosa / idli batter available in stores all over, it has become a frequently prepared item at homes.

If you want to make idli batter at home and you have only the mixer, go for idli rawa (rice rawa available in the market) and urad dal in the ratio 2:1. Soak the urad dal for 2-3 hours and grind well in the mixer. Wash the idli rawa well, squeeze out the water and grind it briefly in the mixer. Mix both the batter, add salt and mix well and allow to ferment for 5-7 hours and make idlis.

A better option - though more cumbersome and time-consuming – is grinding the rice and dal separately in the wet grinder. The ratio of rice: urad dal is 4:1. (Use 3 ¼ cup of parboiled rice and ¾ cup of raw rice for the best results). The batter you get using the grinder can be used to make idlis as well as uthappa and dosas. You will also get a greater amount of batter!

If you are located in the US, the best option is to buy the idli / dosa batter from the Indian Store.

Method

 Use the idli stand – pour 2-3 drops of oil in each mould of the idli plate and grease them.

Pour 1 big spoon of batter in each mould. Place the plates of the idli stand one on top of the other – so that moulds of alternate plates come in a vertical line (above one another).

Pour 2 cups of water in a pressure cooker and heat it.

Place the idli stand in the cooker and steam the idlis for 10 minutes.

After 5 minutes, remove the idli stand.

After another 2-3 minutes, remove the idlis and serve hot with spiced chutney powder / coconut chutney / sambar.

Tips

Idlis taste great if you make them from fresh fermented batter. I won't recommend making idlis with idli batter more than a day old - if you don't mind concrete idlis, go ahead!  Otherwise make uthappa with the leftover idli batter. 

My sister-in-law Asha makes mini idlis and puts them in a pan containing molagappodi and oil and tosses the idlis so that they get well-coated with it. Bite-sized spiced mini idlis with a toothpick are ready to be served as cocktail idlis. If you pack them in a disposable container along with a couple of plastic forks - you have a handy anywhere, anytime snack!

 © Copyright 2011. Brinda Balasubramonian.