Ingredients
Idli rice -- 4 cups
Urad Daal -- 2 cups
Fenugreek seeds (Methi/ Uluva/ Menthayam) - 1 tsp
Salt - 3 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Idli mould.
Wash the rice and daal separately until the water runs clear. Soak urad daal and rice separately with enough water to cover them. Add the fenugreek to rice and let it soak for 4 hours.
The proportion of rice to urad daal is 2: 1 if you are grinding in a blender. If you have a wet grinder then the ratio is 4:1. This is because the grinder does a good job of fluffing up the urad daal as it grinds giving a larger quantity.
The dish does have a long preparation time. Idli rice is a special type of short grained and round rice with a distinct white core. It is meaty and once soaked and ground will give a thick batter. The trick to making soft spongy idlis is in the grind and the ambient heat with in the house. Drain the urad daal and grind by adding water little by little to a fine smooth paste. Do not add too much water. The water added must be just enough to let the blender grind without difficulty. Take a bit of the urad daal paste and test it between your fingers. If you cannot find any grainy texture and it feels creamy and smooth to touch than it is well ground. The batter must be of a thick creamy soup like consistency. Transfer this to a deep container. You may have to do this twice if you are using a blender.
Drain the rice, and add a cupful to the blender. Just as before add just enough water so that the blender can grind without difficulty. Take a bit of the rice paste and test it between your fingers. It should feel like you have added rava or semolina to a smooth creamy soup or a grainy texture in a smooth thick rich soup. Transfer this to the same deep container. You may have to do this a couple of more times if you are using a blender.
Mix the two batters well and add salt and mix well again. Cover the vessel and keep in a warm place overnight. During winters grind the batter in the afternoon when your house is the warmest. Many recommend placing the batter in the oven but I have felt a kind of a stuffy smell coming from the batter the next day. The mix needs atleast 15 hours of fermentation time when the quantity increases. Make sure you place a large plate under the vessel so that any spill out from the fermented batter does not overrun your kitchen counter top.
Method
Actually the easiest part of making idlis is its preparation the next day.
1. The fermentation would have caused to urad daal to rise to the top while the heavier rice lies in the bottom of the vessel. Mix the batter 3-4 times so that the rice and daal mix well. Make sure not to overmix it as all the air pockets will go away and your idli will be hard. If you do not mix after fermentation your idli will fall flat.
2. Grease idli moulds with a drop of sesame oil each. Drop a ladle full of batter in the moulds so that only 3/4th of the mould is covered. This is because idlis will enlarge in size when cooked. Store the rest of the batter in the fridge if not be using immediately. The same batter can be used to make dosas or crepes the next day, when it has become more sour.
3. Pour about a couple of centimeters height of water into the idli steamer or the water level indicated.
4. Place the mould into the steamer, close the lid and steam the idlis for 6-7 minutes on high heat.
5. To check if the idlis are done, open the lid and if the topmost idlis have cracked as shown in the picture above, the idlis are cooked. Switch off the stove.
6. The idlis will be very hot and it is dangerous to try take the mould right now as you can get scalded by the steam. Cover the steamer with the lid and let it stand for 10 minutes to cool down.
7. Carefully take the mould out. Remove each plate and let it rest for a few minutes.
8. Use a spoon to remove the idlis from the moulds. Since you have greased the moulds the idlis will come out easily.
Serve with sambar, coconut chutney or molagai podi for a delicious breakfast.
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