Kerala style Idly

 Idly is a traditional Kerala breakfast. It is soft, tasty, and easy to digest. You can enjoy idly with sambar, mint chutney, tomato chutney or coconut chutney. Once you try it, you will want it again for sure!

My mom used to prepare idly by mixing white rice, payasam rice (or unakkalari) and urad dal. Unakkalari was a staple item in most of the houses at that time as it was used for making kerala appam, kerala puttu, palpayasam, and porridge. Anything prepared with unakkalari is tasty and healthy.

Try to use sona masuri white rice or idly rice. Making soft idly is just a matter of technique, i.e., using the right amount of water for grinding and fermenting. 

Fermentation, however, also depends upon the climate. In the winter season it takes more time to ferment batter. Idly batter should be thicker than dosa batter. After setting aside for fermentation, do not open or disturb it. Use a glass bowl if you want to observe how much the batter rose. Leftover batter can be refrigerated to use the next day. This recipe prepares 21 idlis. 

Ingredients

1cup=250 ml

White rice*, 1 cup or 195 g

White urad dal (split)*, ½ cup or 100 g

Fenugreek seeds, ½ tsp

Brown rice poha (flattened rice or aval)**, 4 tbs

Cold water, ½ cup + ½ cup + 2 tbs +2 tbs

*I used ‘24 Mantra’ organic sona masuri white rice, ‘Organic Tattva’ urad dal and ‘Organic Tattva’ poha.

**If you do not have poha, add 4 tablespoons of cooked rice.

Preparation

• Step one: Soaking
• Rinse the rice and urad dal four times and soak separately for 5-6 hours.
• Wash and soak the poha for 15 minutes before grinding.
• Step two: Grinding
• Drain the water and grind the urad dal with fenugreek seeds to a very fine, foam-like paste by adding a half cup of water. If you need to, add two more tablespoons of water. 
• Transfer to a wide bowl.
• Drain the water from the rice and poha. Add to the blender along with ½ cup of water and grind. If you need to, add two tablespoons of water. Wipeout and add to the urad dal batter.
• Mix the batter well (using your hands) for 2-3 minutes by adding salt.
• Step three: Fermentation
• Close with a lid (not airtight) and set aside to ferment, for 8-10 hours or overnight, in a warm place.
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• Step four: Cooking
• After fermentation, mix gently and check salt.
• Boil water in an idly steamer.
• Grease the idly mould with gingelly oil or coconut oil.
• Pour one ladleful of batter into each mould.
• Once the water boils, place the moulds into the steamer. Close and cook for 8 minutes over medium flame.
• Open the lid and insert a toothpick into the centre of one idly. It should come out clean and not sticky.
• If it does not come out clean, then cook again for 2-3 minutes.
• Overcooking makes it tough.
• After removing the mould, sprinkle cold water over it to cool. Once cooled, remove the idly with a wet spoon.
• Repeat the process.
• Enjoy your yummy idly with sambar and chutney.

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