Don’t Have An Idli maker? Grab A Coconut
Image Credit: Image: Youtube/Srithas Kitchen

Coconut is a hot favourite ingredient in Indian cooking, especially in South Indian cuisine. Be it dosa or chutney, Uttapam or vada, every single South Indian food seems incomplete without coconut chutney. Isn’t it? Not only in South Indian cuisine but it is one of the most used ingredients in Indian kitchens all across the country and even helps in making scrumptious desserts. We have always made the best use of coconut’s edible part but what about the shell? You always throw it, isn’t it? I also did this before, but my life totally changed when I came to know that coconut shells could be used for making idlis. Yes, Idlis!!

Coconut shell is generally known for its toughness, increased abrasion-resistant powders, and of course, excellent durability properties. Many of you may not know that the composition of a coconut shell is quite similar to the composition of hardwood. The difference is that coconut shell has high lignin content and lower cellulose content. Coconut shell is ground into powder and put to several uses. 

But the thing that shocked me was that we can actually make idlis in coconut shells. Those who cook know that cooking is not just about following a particular recipe. Rather, it is more about the perception of dishes and improvisation. We don’t always need fancy equipment to make mouth-watering dishes. We always thought that we need to have a proper idli maker with special moulds for making idlis. But what to do when you don’t have one? All you need to do is grab a coconut and make idlis in the coconut shells. The coconut shell will work as idli mould and you can either place it into a steamer or any other utensil that you think is appropriate for the process. The thing that needs to be taken care of is the coconut shell needs to be cleaned thoroughly and all the residues should be scraped off. Wanna know how to make this amazing idli? Follow the steps below.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rice
  • 1 cup urad dal 
  • Salt as per taste 
  • 3 tbsp oil

Method

  • Take a bowl and add raw rice and water to it.
  • Wash them at least two to three times.
  • Thereafter, soak them for minimum two hours.
  • Meanwhile, take another bowl and urad dal and water.
  • Soak them also for at least two hours.
  • After two hours, drain the excess water from the soaked ingredients and keep them aside.
  • Take the soaked raw rice and urad dal with a stone grinder into a frothy, thick, smooth batter
  • Thereafter, keep aside them for four hours for the fermentation process to happen.
  • Meanwhile, heat water in a steamer.
  • Cover and boil them well.
  • Then, take a bowl and pour some of the fermented batter into it.
  • Thereafter, add some salt and mix them well.
  • Take a half coconut shell and grease it with some oil
  • Pour the batter into the coconut shell.
  • Then, place the coconut shell into the steamer one by one.
  • Cover and cook for 8 to 9 minutes or until cooked properly. 
  • Once done, turn off the flame and take out the coconut shell from the steamer.
  • Remove the idli from the coconut shell using a spatula.
  • Serve with coconut chutney and enjoy!