Kadamb - Cucumber Idli

Cucumber idli (Kadamb)

Kadamb - Cucumber Idli
Kadamb – Cucumber Idli

“Kadamb” is another dish that always I wanted to include in Aayisrecipes. But like hittu/khotte, for this, the ‘turmeric leaves’ were not available here. So I always prepared either tausalli or made these in banana leaves like this. So this was one of the dishes in “most-wanted-pictures” list. Like hittu/khotte, these pictures are also taken by my brother at my native.

“Kadamb” is a kind of idli prepared in turmeric leaves and steamed. Some people make it sweet, some bland and few people like it with a mustard-chili seasoning. At my home, I like them bland and my brother with seasoning. So Aayi always kept 3-4 for me separately and adds seasoning to others. With or without seasoning, this dish tastes amazing. The turmeric leaves give a very different and amazing aroma to this dish. Turmeric is grown almost by everyone at my native for both the leaves and the root.

Ingredient:
Cucumber(grated) 2 cups
Rice 1 cup or rice rava(idli rava) 1 cup
Coconut(fresh or frozen) 1/2 cup
Sugar/jaggery 1/2 tea spn
Salt
For lining up vessel
Turmeric leaves 5-6
For seasoning(optional)
Oil 1/2 tea spn
Mustard seeds 1/2 tea spn
Red chilies 2-3

Method:
Soak rice in water fr around 2hrs. Drain the water and spread it on a dry cloth or paper. When it becomes dry, grind it into coarse rava (alternatively, use the idli rava directly).
Mix rava with all other ingredients.

Heat oil and add mustard. When they start popping, add red chilies cut into small pieces. Add this to the above mixture and mix well (the seasoning is optional).

Arrange two turmeric leaves in following manner.

Keep a handful of mixture in the center.

Fold the leaves very tightly.

Line these in a cooker vessel with the folded leaves downwards.

Steam for around 10mins.

While serving, discard the leaves. Serve with asafoetida chutney.

Serves : 3-4
Preparation time : 45mins (excluding the grating of cucumber)

27 thoughts on “Cucumber idli (Kadamb)”

  1. Wowwwww, kadamb….I can get the aroma all the way here….this is a must- have on my list now when I go to India…I had almost forgotten this konkani speciality…thanks for reminding me, Shilpa!

  2. shilpa-and shilpa’s aayi! these are gorgeous! turmeric must be a very beautiful plant, to have leaves like these and give birth to such dishes…
    BTW i also love your mother’s steamer:-)

  3. wow! more authentic dishes!!

    what is the consistency of the “stuffing”? Are all the ingredients dry or is there any water added to make a dough?

    I ask as if I am going to get turmeric leaves to make these – sigh! All these unusual dishes and I can only drool over the pictures and imagine how it must taste.

    cheers!

  4. Thanks to you all for your wonderful comments :).

    SH, water is not added to the stuffing. Even if water is added in small quantity, the stuffing comes out (The mixture leaves some water when mixed) . You can make this in Banana leaves as I did here, but only thing is, it wont be as tasty as the original kadamb with turmeric leaves :).

  5. Hi Shilpa,

    I have become a big fan of your recipes! Currently I am based in Finland, so I have a limited access to the Indian ingredients, but I have tried some of your recipes – Kadamb, Dates cake and a few coconut based gravys and all of them were awesome! And I am planning to try out all possible recipes!

    Continue the good work 🙂

    -Sangeeta

  6. Hi Shilpa,
    I have been wanting to leave a msg for quite sometime now… I regularly visit ur blogs.. everyday evening 5 pm…. to plan my cooking for the night…i have never cooked before my marriage.. very ocasional… now having to cook daily.. i sit b4 thefridge for an hr or so to make up my mind about the menu…. your blogs are a saviour!!! keep up the going!! thanks a lot too!!

  7. First time I’m posting a message to any cooking site. But after seeing this I couldn’t help it. Such a natural and traditional dish, I’ll definitely try this. In fact i got this site for the Curry leaves chutney, that also look great and original. Thanks a lot for the effort in making the site and the content so original, Congrats!

  8. dear shilpa,
    lovely recipes.My mother does sheppi bhajji goad(sweet) sannan.
    1 cup dil leaves(sheppi bhajji)
    1 cup raw coconut
    1cup rice rawa/roasted gava (wheat)rawa
    Jaggery to taste,a pinch of salt,pieces of cashewnut
    Method
    Grind dill leaves,coconut,jaggery together and then add rawa and cashewnut.
    Steam it in a flat container.Takes a little more time then normal idlis.
    Tastes great with ghee.

  9. Hi Shilpa

    I am very much impressed by the effort you take to make this blog very presentable. Though I am a typical konkani girl, having cooked from a early age, quite often the recipes in your site bring me back memories of some dishes which only my granny used to cook. thanks for your effort towards reviving our konkani cuisine

    Bye

  10. Shilpa, Really love the way the recipes are shown. Its a visual treat. I often visit here to decide something different to cook and miss my Ayi a lot. My Ayi is a great cook too.

    Shilpa, Should we use Gava Rava (Wheat Rava) or Idli Rava (Rice rava) for this recipe?

  11. wow…I love this…..I am from Odisha,but i was surprised to know this type of preparation is also done in south..in odisha we make the same variety of idli called “ENDURI”,instead of two leaves we use one leaf and wrap it then steam..love it….i will try once in ur style..thanks a lot..

  12. Hi Shilpa,
    I am currently staying overseas and am unable to get banana or turmeric leaves for this dish.Will it be alright if we steamed it in an idli pan?
    Thanks
    Disha

  13. Hi Shilpa,
    Any idea where i can get a steamer like this in bangalore? Any Specific Konkani Store etc..?

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