Mallige Idli

Soft and fluffy Idlis with coconut chutney is a great combination and is perfect for breakfast.Idli is a staple breakfast in many south Indian house holds and making a perfect Idli is an art which even an expert cook might fail to make perfect idlis.I have written almost 10 to 15 different types of measurements for idlis in my cookbook.But,this is a no-risk Idli recipe which you can can try blindly and still yield perfect results.In fact the batter is so versatile that you can prepare thin and crisp dosas with it.

'Mallige' means jasmine flower,these idlis turn out as soft and white as them and hence these idlis are names as 'Mallige Idli'.You can use the same batter and prepare Paper dosa,check it out here.
Check out few Idli varieties and their variations using the basic Idli batter here..

• Kanchipuram(Kanchi) Idli | Spicy Idli 
• Khara Idli / Onion Masala Idli
• Idli Recipe Using Idli Rava
• Mallige Idli
• Idli Upma - using left over Idlis  
• Masala Idli Fries
• Tri Color Cocktail Idlis

Mallige Idli Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 cups Idli rice(Salem rice)

1 cup round white Urad dal

1 cup(levelled) Poha(Atukulu)

2 tbsp Curd

1 handful of cooked Rice(optional)

pinch of Soda bicarb(optional)

Salt,to taste

Method:

• Soak rice for 5-6 hrs and urad dal and poha separately for 2 hrs.
• Gring urad dal to a smooth paste and remove the batter, now grind rice and poha together to a very smooth batter by adding dahi,cooked rice and required water.
• Mix both the batters with your hand and add enough salt and mix everything properly and let it ferment overnight or for 8-9 hrs.
• Scoop out required portion of batter and add cooking soda (mixed with 1 spoon of water) and mix thoroughly.
• Grease the idli plates with oil and pour a ladle of idli batter until each impression is filled 3/4th.You can even line it with a wet muslin cloth and pour the batter on top of it.
• Steam it in idli steamer or pressure cooker(with out whistle) for 10-12 mins.Let it rest for another 5 mins.
• With a idli spoon cleanly remove the idlis.Dip the idli spoon in water in between which helps to remove the idlis easily from the plate.If you have used muslin cloth just invert them into the hot box.
• Keep them in hot box or serve directly on to a plate.Always serve idlis hot.

Serve it hot with coconut chutney/Tomato-Onion Chutney/allam pachadi/sambar.

 Notes:

1. Use an air-tight container for storing the batter.I usually remove the batter into my tupperware container and cover it with a normal loose steel plate while it is fermenting and once it is fermented I cover it with a lid and refrigerate the batter,this way the batter will be fresh and does not turn sour.
2. The idli batter turns sour quickly if you add salt while grinding the batter and that is the reason few add salt while making idlis.It is your wish to follow which way you want.
3. I prefer to use whole urad dal,if you do not get it use regular ural dal(broken).But always use good quality fresh urad dal for preparing idlis.
4. If you are using mixer you can use 3 cups of idli rice for 1 cup of urad dal for making idlis.Use cold water while grinding the batter in mixer as the batter tends to get heated while grinding in mixer.
5. Once the batter is fermented do no stir it much which makes the batter looses its air bubbles and in return the idlis will not be softer.
6. After 2-3 days the idlis might not turn soft with the same batter,you can add a fat pinch of cooking soda mixed with 2 tbsp water into the batter and mix it well and make idlis.Your idlis would be definitely soft.
7. If your idli batter turn soar,try this Masala Idli which is a perfect fix for the sour idli batter.
8. You can use the same batter for making paper thin crisp dosas.Add enough water to make the batter little thin and then spread the dosa as thin as possible.

Try these accompaniments for Idli:

• Andhra Nalla Karam
• Andhra Karapodi
• Coconut chutney
• Coconut Chutney with red chilies
• Coriander-Mint flavored Coconut Chutney
• Kobbari Karam
• Milagai Podi - Tamilnadu style
• Nalla Minumula Podi(Black lentils powder)
• Peanut Chutney
• Tomato-Onion Chutney
• Onion chutney
• Sambar - with freshly ground spices - Tiffin Sambar
• Sambar

Note: This recipe is revisited and the photos are updated on 12/06/2013.