Idli is considered by many to be the ultimate comfort food. The soft, pillowy texture of idli paired with comforting coconut chutney or spiced sambar creates a symphony of flavours in your mouth. While people use idli steamers to prepare it, Chef Sunita Korgaokar recently prepared the “softest idlis ever” using a 100-year-old technique. Read on to learn the recipe.
Instagram Chef Prepares Softest Idli Using An Earthen Pot
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Chef Sunita Korgaokar shared a reel on Instagram where she shows people a unique way to prepare idlis. In the caption, she states that this is a 100-year-old technique to prepare idli when our ancestors didn’t have modern steamers to prepare the dish. During a trip to Kumbharwada in Maharashtra, known for housing a 100-year-old settlement of potters, the content creator was struck with an ingenious idea. She bought two to three earthen pots with her and decided to use it in her cooking someday.
Also Read: 5 Best Spots For Podi Idli In Bangalore
One fine day, her son asked her to come up with a new recipe for her Insta page, @mummagadekar. That’s when she used an earthen pot from her trip to Kumbharwada to prepare idlis. She prepared idli batter at home, and poured it over the earthen pot topped with a muslin cloth. And then steamed it by covering the batter with a lid. “Bahut soft idli tayyar hui”, she said in her reel. Probably our ancestors prepared idlis in this manner, she wonders. Sunita Korgaokar served the super soft idlis on an earthen plate with a bowl of freshly prepared coconut chutney.4
Also Read: This Instagrammer Made Peppa Pig Idlis & Internet Can’t Get Over The Cuteness!
Here’s A Recipe To Prepare It Using A 100-Year-Old Technique
If you’re curious about preparing this South Indian dish, the traditional style, then, here’s Sunita Korgaokar’s recipe.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of Rice
- 1 cup of Urad Dal
- 1 tsp of Methi Seeds
- Salt as per taste
- Mitti Handi (Earthen Pot)
- Mulmul Cloth (Muslin Cloth)
- Water
Method
First, mix the urad dal and methi seeds in a bowl. And let it soak in water. In another bowl, add the rice. And let this soak in water too for 6 to 7 hours. Then, grind both the grains separately. And mix them both together nicely. Then, let the batter ferment in a warm place for 10 to 12 hours. Add salt as per taste into the batter and mix well.
Next, fill the earthen pot with water and cover it tightly with a muslin cloth. Pour a spoonful of idli batter over the muslin cloth. Keep the gas on low and cover the idli batter with a lid. The idli will be cooked over the earthen pot. In no time, your softest homemade idli using a 100-year-old technique is ready!
When are you making soft, pillowy idlis?
Cover Image Courtesy: @mummagadekar/ Instagram
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