Idlis

Few days back, when I posted a recipe for Kanchipuram dosa, many of you mentioned about this idli. Then I saw this recipe in my diary. I am not sure if it is authentic, but I liked these idlis very much. I saw this recipe in one of the TV shows in India.

These idlis have a distinct taste of cumin seeds, ginger and pepper. This tastes very good with onion chutney. Ever since I tasted these, it has become a regular at my home.

Ingredients:
1 cup urad daal
1 cup rice
1 cup boiled rice
1 tea spn finely chopped ginger
1/2 tea spn cumin seeds
1/2 tea spn pepper (I used pepper powder)
1 tbl spn cashew pieces
1 tbl spn yogurt/curd
5-6 curry leaves
1-2 tea spn ghee
Salt
Oil

Method:
Soak rices and daal seperately for 5-6hrs. Grind daal to a very smoothe paste. Grind rice to a coarse paste. Mix both. Add ginger, cumin seeds, pepper, cashew pieces, yogurt/curd, curry leaves cut into big pieces, warm ghee, salt. Keep overnight for fermentation(see idli post for fermentation instructions).
Grease the idli plates with oil. Pour the batter in idli moulds and steam them.
Serve hot.

Serves : 4-5
Preparation time : 30mins (excluding standing time)

The name coconut idli might be little misleading, but I did not know how to name this dish. Just because this is steamed like a idli, I came up with this name.

Those who are regular at Aayi’sRecipes know that I blog mostly about dishes with coconut. It is one of the most important ingredients for Konkanis. Most of the people at my native cook a lot of coconut dishes. Every house has coconut trees in its yards. At my home, we have some 20+ coconut trees. So there is no wonder in coconut being used in most of the dishes.

I read this old Kannada saying in one book – “Tengu mattu ingu iddare manganu aduge maduttade” means with coconut and asafoetida, even the monkey can cook :).

I am hearing a lot of people talking about coconut as a kind of “evil” for health. I don’t say it is very good for health, but if you have a habit of eating it, you need not say it is bad and leave it. My grandfather was 93 years old when he passed away and I have not seen him suffering from any disease any time. He was one of the strongest and healthiest man I have ever seen. He didn’t like any food without coconut. He was very very active and didn’t sit at a place for more than 5mins. He always did physical hard work. May be that was the reason behind his good health.

We asked this same thing to one of the best cardiologists in India. He said, since coastal people have this habit of eating coconut from generations, it does not have any bad effects, only thing is you have to ensure doing so much of exercise to burn the calories.

All I am saying is, please don’t see coconut as a unhealthy ingredient. Eat it within limits and do regular exercises and be healthy. Read more about the coconut at coconut research center.

This is my entry to JFI coconut hosted by Ashwini. Soyi Sandan/sannan is one of the most popular breakfasts among Konkanis at my place. For whatever reason, this was not cooked very frequently at my home. There are many recipes for this dish. This is my Aayi’s version with sweet and spicy taste.

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut
1 cup rice rava/sooji or idli rava
1 small piece of tamarind or 1/4 tea spn tamarind extract
A pinch asafoetida
3-4 red chilies
1 tbl spn jaggery
Salt

Method:
Grind coconut with tamarind, red chilies, asafoetida and jaggery to a coarse paste without adding a lot of water. Add rava, salt and mix well. Grease a cooker vessel with oil and transfer the coconut mixture to it.

Steam in a cooker for around 12-15mins like idlis(without weight). Serve with coconut oil (I served it with chutney).

Serves: 2-3
Preparation time : 20mins

PS: You can also soak rice and grind it to coarse powder and use it. I use the rice rava to make this fast.

I ate rava idli for the first time in Bangalore. This was neither prepared at my home nor I had tasted it anywhere at my native or in Belgaum. So first time when I ate it, I became a fan of it. After that I would eat it everytime I went to any restaurant, but never tried making it at home.

This recipe is from my friend Poornima. I hesitated to post it because I could find a recipe of rava idli in almost all blogs. But finally I thought of posting it anyway, anytime I needed to make this again, I wanted a reference.

Everytime I make this dish, I remember my Pappa (father). He always says he had tasted this during his college days in the hostel canteen. He says he loved these idlis. I wish to make these idlis for him when I visit him or he visits me next time. I know, before that Aayi would make these for him, but still :).

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat sooji/rava (medium thick)
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
1/2 tea spn grated and crushed ginger
2-3 finely chopped green chilies
1 tea spn chana daal
1/4 tea spn soda
3/4 cup grated carrot
1 tbl spn cashews(optional)
2-3 strands of coriander leaves
2 tbl spn grated coconut(fresh or frozen)
1 cup yogurt/curd
1-2 tbl spn oil
Salt

Method:
Roast sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add ginger, green chilies, chana daal and fry for sometime. Switch off the heat and immediately add sooji, mix well.
Add salt, soda, carrot, coriander leaves, coconut, yogurt/curd and mix well. Leave it for around 30mins.
Grease an idli stand. Keep half cashew and then put the mixture on top (so that when the idlis are removed, the cashews can be seen on the top). Steam for around 12-15mins.
Serve hot.

Serves : 2
Preparation time : 30mins (excluding standing time)

Updated on Dec 07 – 2006:
PS: If you do not want to add soda, still the idlis can be made soft. I got the following tips from Poornima.
– Add more oil. When the seasoning is mixed with rava/sooji, it should be almost the consistency of rava laddoo.
– Add more curd/yogurt. The batter consistency should be like normal idlis.

This recipe is from my friend Poornima. I have posted many of her recipes here so far. She is one of the most important source of Kannada recipes for me. Few days back I called her and she gave me many recipes and this is one of them.

Pumpkin is called Kumbalkayi in Kannada. This is a spicy idli. I prepared this few days back and absolutely loved it.
The Konkani version of pumpkin idli(dudde kadamb) is sweet in taste.

Ingredients:
1 cup idli rava (rice sooji)
1 tbl spn chana daal
1 tbl spn moong daal
3/4 cup grated pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped onion
4-5 green chilies
2-3 strands coriander leaves
1/4 cup coconut
Salt

Increase or decrease the amount of daal according to taste.

Method:
Soak idli rava in water. Soak daals seperately for around 4 hrs(I soaked them overnight).
Mix rava, daals, onions, pumpkin, green chilies, coriander leaves, coconut and salt.
Keep the mixture in idli stand and steam for around 12-15mins (According to original method given by my friend, make small balls of the mixture and steam them).

Serve hot.

Serves : 2-3
Preparation time : 20mins

There are many ways to utilise the left over idlis. Sometimes we make upma from them. Sometimes we powder them and add coconut, chilies, ginger, salt, coconut oil and asafoetida water to make idli puddi (idli-hinga-udak). Sometimes we shallow fry them with cumin and mustard seeds. All the three taste amazing. I have also seen some people deep frying the idlis or make an upma of deep fried idlis, I am yet to try this version.

When we were kids, Aayi prepared idli-sambar-chutney for breakfast frequently. At my home we all had different tastes. So sometimes she ended up making all idli upma, idli puddi and fry for evening snack.

This picture is sent to me by my brother and sis-in-law from Bangalore.

Ingredients:
10-12 idlis
1 tea spn mustard seeds
1 tea spn cumin(jeera) seeds
Oil

Method:
If the idlis are thick, cut them horizontally to get thin slices (2-3 pieces from each idli).
Heat tava and spread oil. Spread the mustard and cumin seeds. When they start popping, keep the idlis on it. Fry from both sides for 5-6 minutes (till they get slight brownish tinge).

Serve with chutney powder.

Serves : 3-4
Preparation time : 10mins