Image Credit: Idlis
There isn’t a single South-Indian cuisine lover who can ignore a plate of soft, fluffy idlis served with hot sambar and a dollop of fresh coconut chutney. Being low in calories, appetizing, and trouble-free, idlis are the perfect breakfast option. However, sometimes they can be crumbly and give a different mouth-feel if left outside for long. Quite obviously, no one would like to eat idlis that are coarse and harder than usual. There are a few hacks that one needs to get right to have perfectly soft idlis.
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- Proportion
The two humble ingredients of idlis make everyone believe that making idlis is child’s play. However, the wrong proportion of these ingredients- rice and lentils can cause serious harm to the texture of idlis. The proportion of rice to dal should be 2:1 if you want to have light and porous idlis. - Choice of rice
Long-grain rice is what we prefer for our favorite biryani and pulao. However, that’s not the case with idlis. Ukda chawal is essential for making perfect idlis. You can also use any other medium-grain rice if you can’t find “the one”. - Soaking
Soaking rice and dal separately is the key to get better results. This is because of the water requirement of both the ingredients. Dal requires more water per portion than rice to soak and fluff up. - Fermentation
Fermentation plays a major role in most of the South-Indian dishes and idlis are no different. Fermentation usually requires around 4-6 hours but there’s a way to speed it up. One can add poha or tapioca pearls to the idli batter for faster fermentation. - The secret ingredient
There’s one secret ingredient that our friends down south didn’t reveal to us. Most south households soak some fenugreek seeds the night before making idlis and grind them while making the batter. However, it is always advised to use them in moderation as they have a bitter taste.
Making perfect idlis may not seem everyone’s cup of tea. It can also be a toilsome job. But why not sweat a little when you can have steaming, soft idlis with these tips the next morning? Have an idli-cious morning!
