The Idli are a type of savory rice cakes, originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular as a breakfast food in South India and northern Sri Lanka.
The cakes are made by steaming a batter made from fermented black lentils (hulled) and rice.
In place of rice, semolina or cream of wheat can be used for making rava idli (wheat-based).
Leftover idli can be cut or crumbled and sautéed for a dish called “idli upma”.
Since simple idli have a mild taste, a condiment is considered essential.
Idli are often served with sambar, but this varies greatly by region and personal taste, or with chutneys made from coconut, kaara chutney (onion-based), or spicy fish curry.
I served them with a RED BEET CHUTNEY.
March 30 is #worldidliday.
They are the base of another recipe on the blog:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Very inexpensive
- Rest time: 2 Days
- Preparation time: 2 Days
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Steam
- Cuisine: Indian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 cups parboiled rice
- 1/2 cup urad dal
- to taste salt
- to taste vegetable oil
- 1 Mold Idli molds
Steps
➡To prepare them, 4 parts of raw rice (Idli rice or parboiled, which can significantly reduce soaking time) and 1 part of mung bean lentils (urad dal) are soaked separately for at least 4 hours or 6 hours or overnight.
Grind the rice and lentils separately in a blender, adding a little water at a time (as needed).
➡Dahi (yogurt) can also be added to provide the sour taste for non-fermented batters.
➡Sugar can be added to make them sweet instead of savory. They can also be stuffed with a filling of potatoes, beans, carrots, and masala.
Mix the two compounds and add salt.
Let it ferment another night.
Then grease the special molds (or round or muffin molds) and steam for about 20 minutes.
This is the ready-made mix available in Indian supermarkets:
How to cook idli
To prepare them, a special tool is needed: the idli maker.
For steaming.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What can they be served with?
Ginger pickle (allam pachadi), which can also be called Ginger Chutney or pickled ginger.
▶The Telugu word for ginger is “allam” while “pachadi” is pickle. Ginger is the main ingredient, but there are also tamarind, red chilies, jaggery, and some added spices that balance the spiciness of the ginger.
▶It is a classic accompaniment to a main meal and South Indian breakfast dishes, like idli, dosa, vada, and pesarattu.
