If you have been following my blog, you would understand that I have been a huge fan of South Indian food. I remember if my parents were to go shopping in ‘Dakshinapan mall’ in Kolkata, I used to be very happy. Not because my ma and babi would bring us new clothes, but because they would bring dosa from a food joint out there. In South India, fermented and steamed lentil and rice cakes called Idlis are quite popular. So are they now here in Kolkata. One such great stall for Idlis was in Deshapriya park and another I could find in Elgin road, near my school. Over the years for the love of South Indian food and for its simplicity and rapidness in making them, I have loved making them at home for breakfast. Though I lack having the special Idli rice most of the time, does that mean I will deprive my family from having those at breakfast? No certainly not. I would still make with easily found ingredients at my home. That’s in fact is known to be my style of cooking ( Every body has there own :)). So let’s find out the Idli Recipe.
Preparation time for Idli Recipe: About 12-14 hours
Total cooking time as per Idli Recipe: 12 minutes + 10 minutes
Ingredients for Idli Recipe for making 16 small idlis:
1. 1 cup of normal rice at your home (par boiled rice us the ideal choice)
2. 1 cup of yellow urad dal or biuli dal or black gram
3. 1/4 cup chana dal or bengal gram dal
4. 1 tsp fenugreek or methi seeds
5. 1/4 cup poha or chidwa or flattered rice
6. Ghee or oil or butter for greasing the moulds
Idli recipe – The method:
1. Take the rice, dal and soak in water for 3-4 hours
2. In a mixture grinder, take the rice and dal and also put chidwa and methi seeds inside. Grind into a fine paste
3. Now keep it aside for fermentation. It takes about 8 – 9 hours generally but sometimes it takes up to 12 hours to rise in volume properly. In summer, the fermentation process is completed quickly than in winters or monsoons. Remember, ideal idli batter should not be too thick nor too thin. So carefully add water to your rice and dal mixture before fermentation starts
4. Now add salt to it and pour the batter into idli moulds. Before pouring Idlis on to the moulds, grease the mould properly with oil or butter or ghee
5. Put idli stand inside the steamer or idli making vessel and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Switch off the flame. Let it rest for 10 – 15 minutes more
6. Open lid, de-mould the Idlis with a spoon gently and serve with sambar and coconut chutney
Please note:
1. Table salt should be added after fermentation is done. Else fermentation process is inhibited. Some people use rock salt before fermenting
2. You can choose to ferment rice and dal batter separately. That gives a better result
3. Adding fenugreek seeds aid fermentation process
4. Many specialists suggest 3 : 1 ratio for rice : dal ratio in idli. In my climate and with my process, I am able to make good fermented soft fluffy idlis
With passing time, I must find out better ways to make Idlis. Any change in the process, or the best method I discover, I shall always be obliged to update you in this post of mine! 🙂
