IDLI

IDLI:

Ingredients:

Boiled rice-4 cups

Raw rice-1 cup

Black gram-1 cup

Fenugreek seeds-1 to 11//2sp

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the boiled rice and the raw rice together for 7 to 8 hours.

Soak the black gram separately with fenugreek seeds.

Grind the black gram first, till the batter is very soft and frothy.

If you use a grinder, water should be added in the intervals little by little.

The black gram will absorb the water and will be very frothy.

Split black gram as well as whole black gram [urundai ulundhu] is used generally for this. But the idlies will be very spongy and soft if you use the black gram with the skin. It is a little difficult and time consuming-but the result will be the best one. Only after soaking this kind of black gram for hours its outer skin will come out. But this kind of black gram must be fresh. Whole white black grams also yield very soft idlis.  

Then grind the rice very finely. Mix both batters well with enough salt by using your hand. The batter should not be either very thick or very watery. Water should not be added the next day. Then the idlies will not be very soft. The batter should be kept in a large container so that there is enough space for the batter to rise. Allow the batter to ferment for at least 8 hours. In the morning, mix well the batter, pour in greased idli plates and steam for 12 minutes.