HOW TO MAKE IDLI STEP BY STEP

Idli is an ideal South Indian breakfast and is famous all over India. It is light and nutritious and can be eaten by people of any age. Even doctors recommend this when one is sick as it is easily digested. Making Idlis is not at all difficult but preparing the batter takes a lot of time as it has to be fermented. Rice and urad dal are the main ingredients which goes into preparing idlis.

I love idlis and like to eat when ever I am hungry . Long time back people used to use mortar and pestle to grind idlis ,it was a tough job. After the invention of grinders it is very easy to make idli batter. This dish was limited to south india , but now it has become one of the most popular dish in whole of India.

INGREDIENTS

Ponni boiled rice                                            5   1/2 tea cup
Black gram(urad dal) without skin         2  1/2 tea cup
Fenugreek seeds                                             2 tsp
Salt to taste
Refined oil                                                         2 tsp

METHOD

Wash the rice and urad dal separately. Soak rice in 6 tea cup water and urad dal in 6 1/2 tea cup water separately for 5-6 hours. Add the fenugreek seeds in rice.

Clean the grinder add urad dal and the soaked water in it and grind it. Occasionally stir it with a spatula.

Grind atleast  for half an hour or  till it doubles

Take the ground urad dal out from the grinder and put it in a deep bottomed big vessel. Keep it aside.

Now add the rice and the soaked  water in it in the grinder and  grind it for 20-25 minutes. Switch off the grinder.

Add the ground urad dal into the ground rice and grind for 2-3 minutes.

Take everything out in the deep bottomed vessel. Add salt and mix it nicely.

Cover it with a lid and ferment for 6-7 hours. The idli batter will rise up.

Mix nicely the idli batter. Pour the batter in special idli vessels after greasing them with oil. Pour water in the bottom of a pressure cooker and place the idli stand inside it. Steam it for 10-15 minutes on medium heat.

Take it out and let it cool down.  Take a butter knife and remove the idlis.

Serve hot with coconut chutney/tomato chutney/sambar.

•  Note:
• The batter can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days.
• Idli batter is ideal for fermentation  at 32 - 38 deg C,  it will take 6-7 hrs.
• Fenugreek helps in fermentation
• Adding soaked water helps in fermentation
•  Salt helps in fermentation
• The batter can be refrigerated and used for 3-4 days