Tuesday, September 20, 2016

The softest idlis, ever!

This summer, after a lot of back and forth I finally gifted myself a Wet Grinder
Finally.
Why did I not do this earlier? What a fool I have been.

I was always happy with the idlis I have made previously. I used Idli Rava. Urad daal and Idli rava (1:3). It was easy, I only had to grind the soaked Daal. The idlis never disappointed. 
So why would I want to change something *that* good. The only reason I changed this was, there is a difference between a good idli and a fantastic idli. 
Immodest as this sounds, I make fantastic idlis now. (yes, yes, I'm all puffed up at my success).
I read the term 'pillowy goodness' on Nupur's OHS and now, now I know what she meant. 

The grinder grinding away is sheer music to my ears. Every week.
What else can get me so excited? The very first time I made idlis using the grinder and the proportion mentioned, I could hardly wait to taste them, I did not. As soon as I could get them off the mold, I nibbled on the piping hot idli. Oh heaven! Before I knew it (well, I did, but let's just pretend I was in a trance) I had polished off 2 more. With nothing to accompany them. Just like that.
Then I ate them with just chutney.
Then with sambar.
Then with chutney and sambar.
And as if that wasn't enough, I also ate them with ghee and sugar.
Yes, I did it.

We ate nothing but idlis that day.
They are *that* good.

The weeks following haven't changed much.
My friends also declare that these idlis are far superior to the ones I had made earlier and those were superb, in their opinion.

idli


Here's how I make the idli:

1 cup Gota Urad Daal  (Whole, skinned Urad daal)
1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
3 cups Idli Rice (specially labelled and easily available in any Indian grocery store)

Wash the daal in several changes of water, till it runs clear. Refill with fresh water and soak the daal along with fenugreek seeds for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Wash the idli rice in several changes of water and then refill with fresh water and soak alongside the urad daal.

Before grinding, discard the soaking water and rinse the daal and rice briefly.
Now, if you are using the wet grinder, add the daal in one go and some water and start grinding. Slowly add water as required.
Grind till the daal (and fenugreek)  is a smooth paste and is white in color.
As you scoop, it feels light and well, fluffy. That is what best describes it.
Once the daal is done, remove it to the container you want to use to ferment the batter.
Now, to the wet grinder, add the rice and some water and switch it on.
Grind till the rice is smooth.
Add this to the daal and mix gently.
At this stage a lot of women like to add salt and let the batter ferment. I usually do not add any. 
I add salt before I make idli.
Leave the container in a warm place to ferment. This can take from 8-12 hours.
I leave the batter in my oven and switch on the light.
Once the batter has risen, you can either make idlis immediately or transfer the batter as is to the fridge to keep until you are ready to make idlis.

To make idli:
Add about 1-1.5 tsp salt to the batter and mix *very*gently to evenly distribute the salt.
Grease the idli mold.
Fill the idli steamer /cooker with water at the bottom. Know your cooker levels and make sure that water does not enter the mold at the bottom.
Set it on the stove and let the water heat up.
Spoon the batter intot he mold cavities and stack them up.
Carefully place the idli stand n the cooker/ steamer and place the lid.
Steam on medium high ( if your stove has buttons going from 1-9 and HI, use 7.5) and steam the idlis for about 20 mins.
Once done, switch off the heat, remove the lid and let some steam escape.
Remove the stand (use a napkin or wear a baking glove) and set it aside.
Use a blunt knife (butter knife) to remove the idli from the mold and serve hot with chutney of your choice and sambar.

These idlis freeze very well. To reheat, place 3-4 idlis on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp napkin and microwave on high for 1-1.25 mins.


NOTES:

  • Make sure the batter is light and fluffy.Airy.
  • Do not add too much water, that will not give you fluffy idlis.
  • Do not over mix the batter, this will release the air that is incorporated into the batter while grinding.
  • After adding salt to the batter, mix / fold gently.
  • If using blender to grind the daal, start at a low speed and then increase gradually. When the daal starts looking pasty, give it the max speed and let it grind for a while till it looks fluffy.
  • In winter when fermentation takes longer, I add 1-2 teaspoons of thick poha. Adding poha to the rice (after the soaking water is discarded and rice is rinsed) helps the process. 

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11 comments:

Nupur said...

YAY- happy for ya :) I understand the feeling of utter joy and achievement ;) that comes from a soft as a cloud idli!

chats87 said...

hi loved this blog! but slightly confused. did you use idli rava or idli rice? the ingredient list says idli rice....

Manasi said...

Thank you, Nupur. I have dreamed of these kind of idlis ever since I heard the term pillowy :) And I follow your tip on freezing them too. works out perfect.

Manasi said...

Thank uou, Chats87.
I have used Idli Rice in the recipe.
The idli rava phase was in the past. :).

Siri said...

Mansi - I make good idlis now (with Idli rava just like you) and my dream is to make fantastic idlis one day (using wet grinder). No wonder you ate them all day. Love the video and the pic. Yum!

Siri

Jetcopter said...

Thanks a ton Mansi for the wonderful step by step recipe. I have been trying to make idlis that my 4 year old will eat, for a long time and I did it today. The batter's texture was like whipped cream !! Thanks so much

Manasi said...

Thank You, Siri. I swear, this wet grinder is SO worth every single penny!

Manasi said...

Thank you, Jetcopter. And you nailed it with that term, whipped cream, it is just like that!

Soulistic said...

Can we not grind the dal and rice together?

Manasi said...

I prefer not to. When I grind the daal first, I can see the texture change ( the daal goes from pasty to light and fluffy - like another reader said, whipped cream), also, daal requires less water.
When you grind rice, you need more water and the batter is just flat.
To avoid possible failure, I prefer separate grinding.

Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to clarify any other doubts.

De said...

Hi,
Those idlis look heavenly!! Can you please share the approximate water quantity you add while grinding? And also the time is takes for you to get the desired texture & consistency?
Thanks a lot,
Deepali

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