A south Indian savoury rice cake, often eaten at breakfast or as a snack. The batter for the cakes are made with soaked rice and black lentils (de-husked) that is fermented and steamed. During fermentation, the batter doubles in volume with the starch breaking down so that it is readily metabolized by the body. The batter is steamed in greased perforated moulds of an idli tray or "tree" that cooks the cakes evenly. Mild in taste, idlis are always served with sambhar and chutney. Soft, spongy, fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth and delicious.
Tips for making pillowy and porous idlis:
Tips for making pillowy and porous idlis:
- Use idli rice, which is a short, small grain rice that grind quickly and is ideal for fermentation. Do not use long grain rice.
- Soak the rice and urad dal separately, at least for four hours or overnight.
- Addition of sabudana (sago) helps in achieving whiter and softer idlis.
- Rice should be ground to a slight coarse consistency resembling the texture of semolina (rava).
- Batter should be of the right thickness and set aside to ferment for 10 to 12 hours in a warm place until doubled or tripled in volume. In winter months, it may take longer to rise.
- Grease the idli tray before ladling the batter.
- Steam for 10 to 12 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the idli comes out clean.
- Unmould the idli after few minutes from the steamer.
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Idli
(Yields 47)
Ingredients:
2 cups idli rice
1 cup split urad dal (de-husked)
1/2 cup sabudana (sago)
oil for greasing
salt
Method:
Wash rice, urad dal, sabudana - all three separately and soak in three different bowls with enough water for 4 hours or overnight.
Drain the water out from all three bowls and grind all three separately with little water. First urad dal fine, sabudana second to be ground fine too and finally, rice to a slight coarse consistency resembling the texture of semolina (rava).
Transfer ground mixture in sequence into a deep pan. Mix to combine well with salt. The batter should be thick of a dropping consistency. Cover and set aside in a warm place to ferment for 10 to 12 hours or overnight until doubled or tripled in volume. Alternatively, use an instant pot to ferment the batter. Set the mode to "yogurt" with the valve set to venting for 12 to 15 hours.
Heat an inch of water in an idli steamer. Lightly grease the moulds of the idli tray with oil.
Pour a ladle of the batter in each mould. On medium heat, steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of each idli comes out clean.
Carefully remove the idli tray from the steamer. After few minutes, unmould the idlis into a plate.
Continue steaming with rest of the batter ensuring that there is enough water in the steamer at all times and idli tray greased before ladling the batter.
Serve idlis with sambhar, coconut chutney and tomato peanut chutney.
Note:
(Yields 47)
Ingredients:
2 cups idli rice
1 cup split urad dal (de-husked)
1/2 cup sabudana (sago)
oil for greasing
salt
Method:
Wash rice, urad dal, sabudana - all three separately and soak in three different bowls with enough water for 4 hours or overnight.
Drain the water out from all three bowls and grind all three separately with little water. First urad dal fine, sabudana second to be ground fine too and finally, rice to a slight coarse consistency resembling the texture of semolina (rava).
Transfer ground mixture in sequence into a deep pan. Mix to combine well with salt. The batter should be thick of a dropping consistency. Cover and set aside in a warm place to ferment for 10 to 12 hours or overnight until doubled or tripled in volume. Alternatively, use an instant pot to ferment the batter. Set the mode to "yogurt" with the valve set to venting for 12 to 15 hours.
Heat an inch of water in an idli steamer. Lightly grease the moulds of the idli tray with oil.
Pour a ladle of the batter in each mould. On medium heat, steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre of each idli comes out clean.
Carefully remove the idli tray from the steamer. After few minutes, unmould the idlis into a plate.
Continue steaming with rest of the batter ensuring that there is enough water in the steamer at all times and idli tray greased before ladling the batter.
Serve idlis with sambhar, coconut chutney and tomato peanut chutney.
Note:
