South Indian Flavors – Delicious Idli Breakfast

Idli is a popular South Indian dish made from fermented rice and lentil batter. It is a healthy and delicious breakfast option. Here’s how you can make idli:

Ingredients:

    2 cups idli rice (parboiled rice)

    1 cup urad dal (skinned black gram)

    1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)

    Salt (to taste)

    Water (for soaking and grinding)

    Oil (for greasing the idli molds)

Instructions:

    Rinse the idli rice, urad dal, and fenugreek seeds (if using) separately under running water. Soak them in water for about 4-6 hours. You can also soak them overnight.

    Drain the water from the soaked rice, dal, and fenugreek seeds. Keep the drained water aside.

    In a blender or wet grinder, grind the urad dal and fenugreek seeds with a little water to make a smooth and fluffy batter. You may need to add water gradually while grinding.

    Transfer the ground urad dal batter to a large bowl.

    Next, grind the soaked rice with a little water until you get a fine and smooth batter. Add the drained water from the rice if needed. The rice batter should be slightly coarse but without any grainy texture.

    Mix the rice batter with the urad dal batter in the bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well. The consistency of the batter should be slightly thick, like pancake batter.

    Cover the bowl with a clean cloth and let the batter ferment in a warm place for about 8-10 hours or overnight. During fermentation, the batter will rise and become airy.

    After fermentation, gently mix the batter with a spoon. The batter is now ready for making idlis.

    Grease the idli molds with oil to prevent sticking. Pour spoonfuls of batter into each mold, filling them about 3/4th full.

    Steam the idlis in an idli steamer or a regular steamer for about 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of an idli comes out clean.

    Once the idlis are cooked, remove the molds from the steamer and let them cool for a few minutes.

    Using a spoon or a knife, gently remove the idlis from the molds. They should come out easily without sticking.

    Serve the hot idlis with sambar (a lentil and vegetable stew) and coconut chutney. Idlis can also be enjoyed with various other accompaniments like tomato chutney, coriander chutney, or peanut chutney.

Enjoy your homemade idlis as a nutritious and satisfying breakfast or snack!