By Anita Rao Kashi
30th March 2023.
One morning in early February, The New York Times' wildly
popular crossword puzzle had this clue: "Along with lentils,
one of the two main ingredients in idli". For Indians
and those familiar with Indian cuisine, it was a no-brainer.
The answer, of course, was "rice".
Idli, a palm-sized steamed rice cake with fermented urad dal
(de-husked split black lentil), is ubiquitous in India,
especially in the south. By itself, idli tastes bland,
but it can be paired with almost anything, from pickles
to relishes and even ketchup, though is usually accompanied
by coconut chutney and sambar (a spicy lentil and
vegetable gravy).
[jump to recipe]
It's one of the simplest and unfussiest Indian breakfasts
but can be eaten at any time of day or night. To see it
turn up as a crossword clue halfway across the world was
indeed acknowledgement of its pervasiveness.
Like many South Indians, nutritionist and wellness consultant
Sheela Krishnaswamy ate idli growing up and considers it to
be an easy, healthy meal. "It's a combination of rice and dal,
which not only gives energy but also provides good quality
protein," she said. "When accompanied by vegetable sambar
or green chutney, it can be a good meal, not just for
breakfast. It also makes for an easy packed lunch."
The dish is such a staple that in many South Indian
households there's always a container of idli batter
in the fridge that can be rustled up in a jiffy. Idli
is also readily available outside the home, hawked on
street corners, offered on quick service restaurant
menus and served at hotel breakfast buffets. Of late,
idli has even transcended borders – according to a 2019
Uber Eats survey, outside of India, London eats the most
idlis, followed by San Francisco. There's even a day
dedicated to it: 30 March,
which was designated World Idli Day in 2015.
Despite its ubiquity, the dish's origin is hazy.
The 920 CE Kannada text, Vaddaradhane, a book of 19
stories of local ascetics, mentions the word iddalige,
from which idli is believed to be derived. Similar dishes
are described in Lokapakara, a 1025 CE guide for
common people, and Manasollasa, a 1130 CE encyclopaedic
socio-cultural Sanskrit text. In A Historical Dictionary of
Indian Food, published in 1998, food historian and nutritionist
KT Acharya posits that an Indonesian fermented dish called
kedli could be the precursor to idli, having been brought
to India between the 8th and 12th Centuries by the cooks
of Hindu Indonesian kings who travelled back and forth
between the two countries in search of brides.
Vedant Pawar - is the chef of Banglore's newly
opened ADDA 1522 (Credit: ADDA)
Over the centuries, idli has evolved. There are versions
made with oats, ragi (finger millet), wheat, tapioca,
barley and other grains. There are idlis stuffed with
vegetables, greens and even spicy masalas and curries.
For meat-lovers, there are prawn, chicken and mutton options.
The newly opened ADDA 1522, a retro-themed pub in Banglore's
Halasuru neighbourhood, offers classic idli as well as a few
creative iterations. Chef Vedant Pawar grew up in Karwar
(a coastal Karnataka town on India's west coast) but rarely
ate idli as a child, though has come to appreciate it now.
"When I moved to Mumbai for college, I tasted idli with
tomato chutney made by a friend and I was hooked."
Pawar was so hooked that he wanted it on his menu.
"I like idli because of its versatility. Be it with a
simple podi (a condiment made with lentils and spices)
or with chicken curry, it tastes equally good," he said.
"Besides, it is packed with nutrients and can suffice as
a meal in itself… It is one of my go-to foods."
In addition to regular steamed idli, he also serves crispy,
fried triangle-shaped idli that are perfect as bar nibbles,
as well as idli stuffed with spicy minced meat.
Pawar's idli batter is a bit different than what most
home cooks would make, in that he ferments the lentil
paste and soaks the idli rava (coarse ground par boiled
rice) separately, rather than mixing the two and allowing
the whole batter to ferment.
Chef Vedant Pawar's idli at ADDA 1522 (Credit: ADDA)
Idli recipe
By Vedant Pawar
Makes 25
For this recipe, you'll will need an idli steamer (a large,
lidded stainless-steel vessel with round depressions or moulds
into which the batter is poured) or a basic pressure cooker
without the pressure regulator inserted.
Ingredients
1 cup urad dal (dehusked, split black gram/lentils)
2 cups idlirava (coarse ground parboiled rice)
1 tsp salt
neutral oil (like vegetable oil) for greasing
Method
Step 1
Wash the urad dal thoroughly till the water runs clear.
Soak in 2 cups of water for 2-3 hours, until the
dal can easily be crushed between your thumb and finger.
Step 2
Drain the soaked dal, transfer to a blender or food
processor and grind with 2-3 tbsp of water to make
a smooth paste. If it sticks, add a little more water,
spoon by spoon. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and
leave in a warm place to ferment for at least 8 hours
or overnight so that the paste doubles in volume.
Step 3
Wash the idli rava thoroughly until the water runs clear.
Soak it in 4 cups of water in a large bowl for at least
8 hours over overnight. In the morning (or after 8 hours),
drain the idli rava completely, making sure to squeeze out
as much water as possible. Add the drained idli rava to
the fermented dal paste. Add the salt and mix thoroughly
with a whisk to form a thick batter; ideally it should be
thicker than pancake batter.
Step 4
Fill the idli steamer with about 4cm (1 ½ inches) of water
and bring to a simmer. Grease the idli moulds, preferably
with a neutral oil. Stir the fermented batter briskly and ladle
it into the moulds till just below the brim. Repeat for each
idli steamer plate, then slide the plates onto the stand and
place the stand in the steamer. Close the lid and steam the
idli for 12-15 minutes, depending on size. The idlis are done
when a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Alternatively, if you are using a pressure cooker,
fill the cooker
with 4-5 cm (2 in) of water. Grease thick,
heatproof cups (about
125ml or ½ cup), preferably with a neutral oil.
Stir the batter briskly and ladle into the cups about
¾ full. Place in the pressure cooker, close the lid
and steam 12-15 minutes, until a knife inserted in the
centre of an idli comes out clean.
Step 5
Remove the stand from the steamer (or remove the cups from the
pressure cooker) and wait for two minutes before scooping out
the idlis with an idli spoon or a flat spoon. Serve with coconut
chutney and sambar.
Note:
Idli rava is widely available in Indian/Asian stores.
Alternatively,
wash any short-grained rice and soak for 4 hours,
then drain and dry
completely. Coarse grind the dried rice to the
consistency of semolina before using.
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