Idli

• par boiled rice - 3 cups (heaped)
• black gram - 1 cup (heaped) (dehusked, whole)
• rock salt - 3 tsps (heaped)

• Soak dhal and rice separately for 3 hours.
• Grind dhal till smooth and frothy.
• Grind rice to fine rawa consistency.
• Before removing from grinder mix salt and ground dhal to the rice mixture well.
• Keep in a large container, so that there is enough space for the batter to raise.
• Grind the batter previous day itself so that the batter is fermented for atleast 15 to 20 hours.
• Next day morning mix the batter well and pour in greased Idli plates and steam for 7 to 8 minutes in pressure cooker.

Few hints to prepare softer Idlis :

• Pour enough water while, grinding itself.
• Do not add water next day.
• If batter is very thick, steamed Idli becomes hard.
• Dhal should be ground for atleast 30 to 45 minutes in a normal grinder, till frothy.

Note :

In few places dhal alone is ground and it is mixed with'ldii rawa'. In that case use little more dhal than mentioned in the recipe.

For Idii rawa :

Pound boiled rice to fine rawa consistency. Soak this for 10 minutes and then drain excess water and mix with dhal paste

Variations with the same Idli Batter

Crisp dosas can be prepared. Sour Idli batter can be used to prepare 'Oothappam'next day.

Mix finely cut onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, crushed ginger with a table spoon of
soaked bengal gram to the sour Idli batter, and prepare 'Karam Idlis' next day.

Stuffed Idli:

Make thick potato masala. While, steaming Idlis pour little batter in each plate, keep little
masala and pour little more batter on top, so that masala is inside. Steam till done.
Serve with red-cocount chutney and sambar.

Party stuffed Idlis :

Prepare thick masala with mixed vegetables.Grease a cooker plate and pour Idii batter
till 1/2 an inch in that container. Steam for one minute and then spread masala on top.
Pour more batter on top and steam till it is cooked. While serving turn over and smear mint
chutney on top and sprinkle grated fresh coconut.

Idli Podi :

Steam Idlis and curmble it coarsely. Heat oil, add seasonings with cut green chillies and
onion. Fry till transparent and add crumbled Idlis with turmeric powder and salt. Fry well
and serve. (Instead of green chillies, preserved curd chillies or garlic chilli powder can be used).

Idli Seeyali:

Cut ldlis into 1 inch square pieces.Chop onions lengthwise. Heat oil,add seasonings and
fry onions till crisp. Pour little thick tamarind extract with salt, sambar powder and
little sugar or jaggery. Mix well and then add cut Idli pieces. Fry for few minutes and serve
with fried cashewnuts on top. (Dhal seeyali can be made in the same manner. Grind equal
quantity of soaked bengal gram dhal and red gram dhal coarsely. Steam idlis, cut into
pieces and do seeyali).

Cake Idli:

Left over sour Idli dough-1/3 of the ground batter (3 days old)
Bengal gram dhal - l/s cup
Green gram dhal - 1/4 cup

Soak both dhals together and grind to coarse rawa consistancy. Mix it with the sour Idli
dough with little more salt. Add finelye cut coriander leaves, curry leaves,crushed ginger
and grated fresh cocount.

Heat 2 table spoons of oil and season with mustard and cut green chillies. Pour over
the dough with 1/4 tsp. of cooking soda. Mix well and steam as big plate Idli. Serve hot
with following powdered mixture.

Fry little mustard along with 2 tsps. of cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon of black gram dhal,
few curd chillies, curry leaves till its colour is changed. Pound coarsely.

Idli Fry :

Cut left over idlis like fingers. Deep fry or shallow fry till crisp. Sprinkle little
salt and red chilli powder. Serve as an evening snack.