Idli

Idli also romanized idly or iddly, plural Idlis, is a traditional breakfast in south Indian households. Idli is savory cake of South India that is most popular throughout the southern part of India including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka.

The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, Idlis are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments. Mixtures of crushed dry spices such as milagai podi are the preferred condiment for Idlis eaten on the go.

A variant of Idli known as sanna is very popular amongst the Goans and other Konkani people. Another variant known as "Enduri Pitha" is very popular in Odisha. For preparation of "Enduri Pitha", mixture of black gram paste and ground once-boiled rice is wrapped in turmeric leaf and steam cooked.

History

Idli (and the process of steaming) was known in India by as early as 700 CE. Earliest mention of Idli occurs in the Kannada writing called Vaddaradhane by Shivakotiacharya in 920 AD, and it seems to have started as a dish made only of fermented black lentil. Chavundaraya II, the author of the earliest available Kannada encyclopaedia, Lokopakara (c. 1025), describes the preparation of Idli by soaking urad dal (black gram) in butter milk, ground to a fine paste and mixed with the clear water of curd, and spices. The Kannada king and scholar Someshwara III, reigning in the area now called Karnataka, included an Idli recipe in his encyclopedia, 'Manasollasa', written in Sanskrit ca. 1130 A.D. There is no known record of rice being added until some time in the 17th century. It may have been found that the rice helped speed the fermentation process. Although the ingredients used in preparing Idli have changed, the preparation process and the name have still remained the same.

Preparation

To make Idli, place four parts uncooked rice to one part split black lentil (minapa pappu, urad dal) in a pan and soak separately for at least four hours. Optionally, to improve taste, add half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds to the lentils at the time of soaking. Grind the lentils (with the fenugreek seeds) to a fine paste attaining the consistency of whipped cream. Grind the rice to a coarse paste separately in a heavy stone grinding vessel (rolu-rokali, rubbo-kallu, oralu kallu). Mix both the lentil and rice paste thoroughly.

Leave the paste to ferment overnight, until it has expanded to about 2½ times its original volume. In the morning, put the Idli batter into the ghee-greased moulds of an Idli tray or "tree" for steaming. Note that a traditional method in Tamil Nadu avoids greasing and uses pure white cloth which is placed on moulds and batter is poured over it after the Idlis are cooked the trays along with cloth are inverted upside down in a plate & water is sprinkled on the cloth, then the cloth is pulled and the Idlis come out without sticking to the cloth. So that Idlis are prepared without a single drop of oil or ghee.

Those cloths are washed daily and kept separately in kitchens. The perforated moulds allow the Idlis to be cooked evenly. The tree holds the trays above the level of boiling water in a pot, and the pot is covered until the Idlis are done (about 10–25 minutes, depending on size). The Idli is somewhat similar to the attu, dosa, a fried preparation of the same batter.

In the old days, when the Idli mould cooking plates were not popular or widely available, the thick Idli batter was poured on a cloth tightly tied on the mouth of a concave deep cooking pan or tava half filled with water. A heavy lid was placed on the pan and the pot kept on the boil until the batter was cooked into Idli. This was often a large Idli depending on the circumference of the pan. It was then cut into bite-size pieces and eaten.

Idlis are usually served in pairs with coconut chutney (thengai chutney/kobbari chutney) or kaara chutney (onion chutney), sambar and Idli milagai podi (karam podi) with ghee. Kobbari pachadi and karampodi are first used to eat in combination of Idlis in Andhra Pradesh, specifically in Kostha Andhra Districts.

Allam pachadi (which is made of Ginger and available in both the sweet and spicy varieties), also goes very well with Idlis and dosas.

If there are excess uneaten Idlis, they are often used to make a savory snack called Idli upmma. This can be prepared by cutting the baked Idlis into small pieces and keep at a side. Then, pour some oil in a hot pan. Put some sliced onions, black crushed dal, curry leaves and fry till golden yellow of onion. Then put the cut Idlis in it and fry well. Taste it with coconut chutney or pickles or with chutney powder with ghee.

Contemporary Idlis and Variations

The people of Tamil Nadu have brought the popular Idli wherever they have settled throughout the world. Cooks have had to solve problems of hard-to-get ingredients, and climates that do not encourage overnight fermentation.

Newer "quick" recipes for the Idli can be rice- or wheat-based (rava Idli) that is extremely popular in Karnataka where the Idlis seems to have originated. Parboiled rice can reduce the soaking time considerably. Store-bought ground rice is available, or cream of rice may be used. Similarly, semolina or cream of wheat may be used for preparing rava Idli. Yogurt may be added to provide the sour flavour for unfermented batters. Prepackaged mixes allow for almost instant Idlis; however, the additional health benefits of fermentation process will be lacking. Idli burger is another variation that can be made easily.

Mallige Idli is one of the most common and versatile Karnataka breakfasts made with beaten rice or poha, cooked rice, Idli rice, sour yoghurt and urad dal. These Idlis are white puffy steamed rice cakes which are simple to prepare and very healthy with very low fat content in them. Mallige is jasmine in the Kannada language, hence this dish is also known as jasmine Idli. These Idlis are very soft and fluffy and popular in Mysore and Mangalore. Spongy Idlis with coconut chutney served along with delicious piping hot sambar is a very famous Karnataka meal.

Although Idlis are often cooked in a steamer over the stove, microwave steamers and electric Idli steamers are also available, with automatic steam release and shut-off for perfect cooking. Both types may also consist of non-stick batter pan. This allows cooking without oil-based lubrication of the pan that makes it feasible to easily dislodge the Idli from the pan. Batter preparation using a manual rocking rock grinder has been replaced by electric grinders. In many households, table-mounted electric wet grinders have replaced on-floor attu kal (Tamil: rocking rock). With these appliances, even the classic Idlis can be made with less labour.

The plain rice/black lentil Idli continues to be the popular version, but it may also incorporate a variety of extra ingredients, savoury or sweet. Mustard seeds, fresh chile peppers, black pepper, cumin, coriander seed and its fresh leaf form (cilantro), fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, fresh ginger root, sesame seeds, nuts, garlic, scallions, coconut, and the unrefined sugar jaggery are all possibilities. Filled Idlis contain small amounts of chutneys, sambars, or sauces placed inside before steaming. Idlis are sometimes steamed in a wrapping of leaves such as banana or jackfruit leaves.

A variety of nontraditional Idlis exists these days, namely, standard Idli, mini Idlis soaked in sambar, rava Idli, Kancheepuram Idli, stuffed Idli with a filling of potato, beans, carrot and masala, ragi Idli, pudi Idli with the sprinkling of chutney pudi that covers the bite-sized pieces of Idlis, malli Idli shallow-fried with coriander and curry leaves, and curd Idli dipped in masala curds.

South Indian temple town Madurai in Tamil Nadu is famous for its overnight Idli shops where one can have hot and soft Idlis even at 2 a.m. These Idlis are served with sambar and also with more than three varieties of chutney like coconut chutney, cilantro chutney, onion chutney and mint. The softness of these Idlis lie in the selection of rice and black gram (black lentil).

Other temple towns in Tamil Nadu like Kancheepuram and Tanjore are also famous for the tasty Idlis. Most of the people in south India take Idli as the breakfast. Idlis are an easily disgestible food taken with sambar provides a mix of proteins and carbohydrates. Apart from sambar Idli is also taken with brinjal/tomato kothsu (a south Indian side dish), puli milagai (a gravy made of tamarind, chilly and onion), vadai curry, etc. Idli with vadai curry combination is most popular in Chennai.

Idli goes very well with Idli powder (milagai podi (literally chilli powder in Tamil)). Many varieties of Idli powder exist; the most popular ones include the powders made of black lentil/chana dal and ellu podi (made of sesame seed and dried red chilli).

Apart from many other variations of Idlis in Karnataka, the people of Karnataka can be found continuing the 1100-year-old way of making the Idli as mentioned in the works of Shivakotiacharya or Chavundaraya. The finished product is called uddina Idli, with the main ingredient remaining urad dal (black lentil).

Ramasseri, an offbeat village in Palakkad is known all over Kerala for the Idlis it makes - the delicious ramasseri Idli. Spongy and soft, it is slightly different in shape from the conventional Idlis. It is a little flat and round. It is eaten with podi mixed in coconut oil. The beginning was from a Mudaliar family living near Mannath Bhagavathi Temple in Ramasseri near Elappully.

The recipe of ramasseri Idli dates back to about the first century, which is a trade secret. The Muthaliyar family had migrated to Palakkad from Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu. The new generation in the profession says that the secret of the recipe and taste were handed down to them from the older women of the community. Now the Idli business is confined to four families in Ramasseri. Selection of rice is very important in making ramasseri Idli. Usually the varieties used are Kazhama, Thavalakannan, Ponni etc.

The taste depends on the boiling of the patty itself. Drying and dehusking are also important and need to be done in a particular way. The combination of rice and black gram is also equally important. For ten kilograms of rice, one kilogram of black gram is used. Idli is made only after four hours of fermentation. Steaming of the Idlis is done on a cloth covered on the mud pot using firewood. This allegedly provides a special taste to the preparation. Leftover Idlis can be torn into crumbs and used for preparing dishes such as Idli fry and Idli upma.

Sources: Wikipedia

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