Idly Maavu - Batter for Idly

#IdliMaavu  #IdliBatter : I have been shifting home very often from one state to another and the first thing I do after having settled down at a place is finding out a shop to buy boiled rice ( Idly rice ) and urad dhal for idly.

{Nowadays many people don't know that boiled rice is used for making idly since its called IDLI Rice in shops.}

Its not an easy task. There are many varieties of boiled rice and not all will be good for making idly.

Some will be too sticky and the grinder will be stalled while grinding. 

I have to find out a right combination only through Trial and Error.

If the rice is too sticky the measurement of rice should be boiled rice 3 1/2 cup and raw rice 1/2 cup.

If the rice is little sticky then 3 3/4 cup boiled rice and 1/4 cup raw rice.

The trial goes on for nearly two months to find out the rice and proper ratio!! 

Three important things to be remembered to make soft idlis. They are

• Ratio of rice to urad dhal
• the method of grinding 
• fermentation

The following measurement is good if you are going to grind #batter [ #maavu ] using wet grinder.

Ingredients :

Idli rice [ Boiled Rice ]     : 4 cups ( heaped )
Urad dhal                          : 1 cup ( within the brim of the cup )

Fenugreek ( venthayam )   : 1 tsp
Salt                                    : 4 Tsp

Soak rice for a minimum of 3 hours after washing thoroughly.
Soak fenugreek also in a small container.
After 3 hours, Wash the grinder and add the soaked rice with enough water.
Switch ON and run the grinder.

Now in a separate container wash the urad dhal and soak.

Periodically check the grinder and sprinkle water for smooth running.
It takes around half an hour to grind the rice.
It shouldn't be watery and shouldn't ground into smooth batter.
Rice should be ground slightly coarse ( like rawa ) and thick.
Finally add salt and transfer the rice batter into a large vessel.

Now add urad dhal and fenugreek into the grinder with little water.
Sprinkle water at regular intervals to get fluffy urad batter.

After 15 minutes of grinding

It takes around 1/2 hour to grind urad dhal. When it has been ground well bubbles start forming, the batter becomes fluffy and whitish in color. When you put a small amount of urad batter in a vessel containing water, it floats. Now transfer fluffy urad batter into the same vessel containing rice batter.
When the urad dhal batter is transferred in to the container it stands over the rice batter since its light and  fluffy.

bubbles coming out of the batter

Wash the grinder with very little water and add that water also to the batter.
Both the batters should be mixed well with hand or ladle.
The container should have enough space for the batter to raise.
Keep it closed in a warm place for 8 hours or the whole night to ferment.
After it has doubled in volume its ready for making idly.

rice & urad batter mixed well in a big container

Note : If the mixer grinder is used instead of wet grinder then the measurement will be

Boiled rice ( Idly rice )                : 3 cups

Urad dhal                                  : 1 cup

Venthayam ( fenugreek )            : 1/2 tsp





You might like to try

Cholam Idli

How to cook Idli

Kancheepuram Idli

Kambu Idli

rawa Idli

Koottu - gravy with coconut masala

Koottu is vegetable or greens( keerai ) gravy prepared with dhal and coconut masala (paste) which is bland in taste.
Its prepared for full meals as side dish.
Koottu is generally prepared with green gram dhal.
But thuvar dhal can also be used which gives a different taste.
Some of the vegetables used for koottu are 
bottle gourd,
pumpkin white,
tender pumpkin red (orange),
cabbage,

Pumpkin  White

chow chow ( bangalore brinjal ),
brinjal.
Some of the best combination of vegetables for koottu are
brinjal and drumstick
brinjal and avaraikai
brinjal and peerkangkai(ridge gourd)
brinjal, drumstick and jackfruit seed (palaakkottai)
brinjal, avaraikkai, and drumstick
brinjal, peerkangkai, and drumstick and also palaakkottai

Palak

vazhaippoo and murungaikeerai ( drumstick leaves)
Some of the greens for koottu are
mulai keerai,
arai keerai,
manathakkaali keerai,
paruppu keerai
palak.
pasalai (spinach )
venthaya keerai

slice cut from yellow pumpkin

Venthaya keerai - Methi

Peerkangkai Thuvaiyal - Ridge Gourd Chutny

#PeerkangkaiThuvaiyal  #RidgegourdChutney : This is done either  with peerkangkai peels or using whole peerkangkai. The sweetness of the vegetable gives a very distinct taste to the #chutney.

Ingredients :
1/2 cup	Peerkangkai skin [ ridgegourd peels ]
1/2 cup	Peerkangkai [ ridgegourd ] slices
3 - 4 Tsp	Coconut scraping
1 1/2 Tsp	Black gram
1/4 Tsp	Coriander seeds
2 or 3	Red chilly
small piece	asafoetida
1 or 2 Tsp	Ginger julians [ optional ]
small marble size	Tamarind
1/2 Tsp	Salt
2 Tsp	Oil

Method :
Wash the Peerkangkai well and remove the skin.
{ Use the skin to make thuvaiyal and the peeled vegetable to make sambar or koottu. }

Keep a kadai on a stove with a tsp of oil.
After oil becomes hot add red chilly, black gram, asafoetida and fry well till the dhal turns into golden brown. Then transfer into a plate or tray.
Now add a tsp of oil.
Add the ginger julians, peerkangkai slices and peerkangai peels and saute well.
Close with a lid. Allow to cook well for 3 to 5 minutes keeping the flame at SIM.
Once its cooked let it come to room temperature.
Now transfer all sauteed and fried ingredients along with grated coconut, tamarind and salt into a mixer/blender jar.
Grind them into a smooth paste.
If needed add some water and grind.
Transfer the thuvaiyal into a serving bowl.

This thuvaiyal goes well with Pongal and also with white rice.
Mix thuvaiyal with white rice along with a tsp of gingelly oil and eat with sambar as side dish.



You might like to try

Peanut chutney

Paruppu Thuvaiyal

Peerkangai Thakkali Chutney

Pongal Thuvaiyal

Poduthalai Thuvaiyal

For other chutney recipes

Chutney Varieties