Idly

Usually every south Indian knows this recipe and like to eat also, but some of my North Indian friends asked me how to make idly so I am giving idly recipe for my friends. They are very interesting to eat idly, dosa at lunch time also. Rice,  urad dal (Black gram) and fenugreek are the main ingredients of idli. Rice provides carbohydrate, black gram provides protein and fenugreek contains vitamins and minerals. Idli is safe, harmless to health and can be taken by young and old. It is a fermented food which contains the good bacteria and offers a wide range of healthy benefits. Idly(Steamed food) is advised to sick and old people since it doesn’t give strain to their stomach.

Ingredients:

Urad dal(Spilt black gram) - 1 cup

Rice Ravva - 2 1/2 cups
Fenu greek seeds - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for greasing

Method of preparation:

1. Soak urad dal and idly ravva separately for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours. Add fenugreek seeds to the urad dal.
2. After enough time of soaking, wash the urad dal and ravva separately.
3. Grind the urad dal into very fine paste.
4. If you grind urad dal in a wet grinder then the paste will be too good and you will also get more quantity than you grind in a mixer grinder.
5. If you grind in a mixer grinder add a pinch of baking soda to the batter after grinding to get soft and fluffy idly.
6. Now completely squeeze water from the washed idly ravva and add it to the urad dal paste, mix it well and leave it over night or at least 3 to 4 hours to ferment.
7. After couple of hours,add enough salt to the idly batter and mix it well.
8. Take idly plates,apply little ghee or oil in the moulds of the idly plates,pour the enough batter into each idly plate.
9. Steam them in idly cooker or pressure cooker for 8 to 10 minutes.Remove from flame and let them cool for couple of minutes.
10. Before removing idly from idly tray,just to make sure that idly is cooked well,touch the idly with your finger, if the idly sticks to your finger, it means it needs few more minutes to cook.
11. You can use big spoon to remove idly from idly trays.Dip your spoon in cold water before removing each idly.
12. Yummy ,tasty and fluffy idly is ready to eat with coconut chutney or hot hot sambar. 
13. Add chopped onions, coriander leaves, jeera&green chilli slices to left over idly batter,  and make dosa for evening snack. I like it very much this type of dosa.
14. You can make idly upma from left over idlis. 
15. Powder the idlis with hand. There should not be big lumps.
    Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping up, add curry leaves, asafoetida, green chillies. Fry a bit.  Add turmeric and powdered idlis. Mix well. 
16. If required,  add salt. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.Before serving add lemon juice also.