Idli Twists

Idli Batter:

Ingredients:

Urad dal (split, no husks) - 1 cup
Idli rawa - 2 heaped cups
Salt - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Cooked rice - a handful (use only long grain cooked rice, not basmati, please read tip)

Proceed:

Soak urad dal and rawa seperately in lots of water, overnight. In the morning wash the urad dal and grind it in to smooth paste by using water and remove it in to big container. Inbetween drain the water lightly by not draining away the rawa from the dish, fill the water again in rawa and keep it settle down the rawa and repeat the process 2 more times. Now squeeze the water from rawa and add it urad dal bowl. Add salt and mix well, cover. keep it on top of water heater, to get ferment. Leave this for 24 hrs for cold countries or 12 hrs for warm countries. After it is fermented add cooked rice and mix well and do Idlies.

Grease idli plates with little oil and pour the batter with help of spatula until the rounds are filled. Keep the plates opposite sides as shown in the figures.

Add enough water in pressure cooker until the skillet is immersed in water. Now put idli stand in pressure cooker, close the lid, no need to put weight on top, we are steam cooking, cook it on medium heat for 10 mins, reduce the flame to medium low and cook further 5 mins or until you get the aroma of idli when you sniff it. Switch off the flame wait for 10 mins and open the lid.
Hold the idli plate and with flat spoon remove the idli from the plate by inserting the spoon underneath and serve.

Serve it with Coconut Chutney, Peanut Chutney, Sambhar or Podi's and with little Ghee on top.

Tips:

For soft Idlies, add cooked rice to the fermented batter, mix well and do Idlies.

For fermenting batter, you can use peeled whole onion, put this onion in the middle of the batter to get fermented.

If you are having over fermented batter, then put one thamala paku on top of the batter. This will reduce sourness in batter.

***Vege idli Twist:
You can add finely grated carrots, chopped coriander leaves little, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped beans too.... to the fermented batter and do Idlies by following above procedure.

***Uthappam Twist:
If you got leftover Idli batter just add finely chopped onions, finely chopped coriander leaves and finely chopped green chillies mix these well. Heat a small deep non-stick skillet add 1 tbsp oil add 2-3 no. spatula of batter in the centre and spread it round and even it on top, cover and cook until golden brown underneath and turn over, cover and cook 3-5 mins or until cooked well.

Serve this with Mango pickle.

***Siyyali Twist:
Idli - 10 no. (left over idlies, crush them with your hand in to a powder)
Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
Turmeric - 1/4th tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Pappula podi - 2 tspns (opt)
Salt to taste
Lemon juice - as required

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Urad Dal - 1 tsp, Redchillies - 6 no. (broken in to bits) and Curry leaves.

Proceed:

1) Heat non- stick kadai, add oil heat it up. Do the seasoning according to the order mentioned above.

2) Add onions and saute until light golden colour. Add turmeric and salt as required mix well.

3) Add crushed idlies saute for 5 mins.

4) Add pappula podi, mix well. Cook for couple of mins. Check for salt. Turn off the stove and add lemon juice for a tangy taste. Serve it hot.

Notes :
Pappula Podi:-
It is a mixture of Dalia (putnalu pappu), roasted garlic, chilli powder and salt
grinded in to fine powder.

Serve it as light snack.

Want to see who tried my Siyyali recipe:

My World Of Recipes - by Preethi Chalavadhi

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu