Monday 16 May 2011

Idlis





An  idli and dosha batter recipe!!!!! Well who doesn"t know to make idlis ..making idlis and doshas are common thing in South Indian homes but not up here in the north. Though i have found that they go gaga over idlis and 'dosas',(its doshas actually)I am frequently asked  by many of my north indian friends " Do you make the batter at home?".. Yes i do and its very simple.Now with so many cookery shows and recipe blogs, food is also becoming global.Was reading an article in Times Life today .It said "Sunday brunches are no longer about chola kulcha but about Indonesian  Laksa."We have people down south  trying the rajasthani kadi ,rasogulla,amritsari chicken, the non south people  making   idlis, uthappam,bisi bele bath etc..not forgetting the pastas,pizzaz,lasagnas,nase gorengs etc Its  a good feeling..more variety and variety is the spice of life!


Coming back to idlis.. I am reminded of my friend Nameet Chadha, a 'Punjab ki sikhni'..We were in our CS class together.. Whenever i brought idlis for lunch, there were no two ways about it, that lunch was hers. I would happily give it in exchange for her Rajma Chawal.I loved that. I was never an idli fan. I used to hate idlis and show faces whenever idlis were on the table..I preferred dosas. My mom would willingly make dosas for me. I started eating idlis only when i stayed with my aunt as my manners dint let me be fussy in front of my 'working aunt'.Anyway thanks to her i can now survive on idlis!!!

Let me also add, idlis are one of  the safest and healthiest breakfasts in India. My father and hubby prefer to have idlis when they are travelling in India as they are totally oil free.


How to make the batter?


Idli Rice(slightly rounder than normal rice)

Urad Dal-1 cup
Idli rice( you will get it in any south indian store)-3 cups 
Fenugreek seeds(Methi)-1 tspn
Water to soak and grind.
Salt to taste.

Wash urad dal and methi together and soak  for at least 6-8 hours(i normally soak them in the morning and grind in the evening /night and leave it to ferment overnight).Wash rice and soak  for 6-8 hours.Please keep them separate.
Next day morning grind them in a mixie( food processor) grind the dal and methi till soft..using water (i use  the water in which i soaked the rice and dal)to get it ground easily.Then grind the rice.Mix both  ground dal and rice together.Place in deep bowl and leave to ferment.Deep bowl as the batter will rise.( You don't want batter on your slab and floor in the morning!!!  ).
Add required salt , say 1tspn to 1 1/2 tspn salt to the batter and mix well.Your batter is ready.
If the batter is very thick you can add a little water.
Be careful about the amount of water you add.If the water becomes too much the idlis wont be fluffy.
( Its a good idea to make idlis when the batter is fresh,the next day you can add a little water and make doshas,This batter will stay for about a week and more. Sour batter can be used to make uthappams.)
I always have stock in my fridge.


Making idlis in pressure cooker:


Pour some water in cooker and let steam arise from it.
If you have an idli stand,pour one ladle of batter in each mould and keep it into the cooker and steam on high flame  for 3 minutes or till the steam starts coming uninterrupted.Turn off the stove .Let it remain for another 5 minutes .Now open the lid and let the idlis cool down for a minute before you take them out with a flat spatula or butter spread knife.
You may also  rub a little oil on the moulds  before you pour batter,so that idlis come out easily.

In a microwave,place batter in idli moulds and microwave for about 5 minutes.
I prefer the pressure cooker idlis as they are more soft and fluffy.

In case you do not have moulds you may use small bowls/katoris..

You can have idlis with n number of accompaniments. .Try my simple coconut chutney or Tomato Chutney.It will also taste good with Sambhaar and chicken curry.You can check out my chicken chettinad here.Gun powder or podi is also a good accompaniment.So also rasam.Choice is yours!!
Happy idlying till then!!




Note:
Do not overfill the mould,idlis will rise and touch on teh mould above,
When placing the different tiers of mouls ,take care to have the holes(the three little ones on every tier) on top of the mould so that steam will pass.

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Cheers,
Renu