Being a North Indian who has never explored the southern parts of the country, any conversation around South Indian food wanders off to dosas, idlis and vadas. Though I’m not a huge fan of idlis and prefer dosa or vada over them any day, I enjoy indulging in the soft round bites once in a while as they give the palate a change of taste. The most basic and classic idlis are the ones made with rice flour and urad dal mixed together in a batter and poured into the small, round holes of the idli moulds. Then you’ve got rava idli, oats idli, ragi idli and more. Dipped in a piping hot bowl of tangy sambhar and some coconut chutney, these South Indian savoury rice cakes taste delicious.
If you come to think of it, there are very grim chances that idli would have evaded the scrutiny of food experimenters and creative foodies. Fire pani puri, oreo pakoda, fanta maggi, do these food combinations ring a bell in your head? If you’ve been active on social media in the recent past, you would have surely come across at least one such bizarre creation. Well, we’ve got the next in line ready for you, Black Idlis. Oh yes, nothing could save the humble idli from the eyes of these so-called creative food experts.
Recently, a video of a person selling black idlis went viral and we haven’t been able to keep our calm since then. The Nagpur eatery that has been selling these black idlis claims that they have detoxifying properties with several ingredients that go into its making. Though the video doesn’t show us what all goes into the making of this unique idli batter, the process of the making of these black idlis is definitely worth watching.
Source: Eatographers/Instagram
Shared by bloggers Ayesha and Vivek, the video has been posted on their Instagram handle called @eatographers under the reels section. In the reel, the person first pours the black batter in the shape of round idlis and places it in the steamer to cook. Once they are ready, he transfers the idlis on a plate and slathers them with oodles of ghee and podi masala. After a second round of ghee, he wraps the idlis in coconut chutney on all sides and Boom! The detox idlis are ready to be savoured.
Within a matter of few days, the reel has managed to garner about over 94k likes and some 2.5 million views. The reel’s caption urges the viewers in the very first sentence by asking them if they’ve tried black idlis. Later, the caption goes on to highlight the fact that they are detox idlis and not meant for pregnant women. If you are intrigued by this food experiment and want to give it a try, then you should head to All About Idlis, the eatery that is selling these black idlis on Walker’s Street in Nagpur, as mentioned in the caption.
All this talk about idlis has made us hungry and we’re in the mood for some fusion. Here are some idli fusions you can try at home.
1. Masala Idli Muffins
While idlis are a favourite breakfast option, you could give the South Indian cakes a Western touch by baking them in muffin moulds. While the batter for masala idlis remains the same, stuffed with rice flour, grated coconut, mustard seeds and more, it is the shape which gives the idlis a modern touch.
2. Chinese Idlis
Haven’t you heard of “Hindi-Chini bhai bhai?” Well, we’re guessing these idlis are a clear reflection of that. Spiked up with Chinese sauces, the bite-sized idlis pieces are tossed in a pan along with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and lots of other spices. Yoghurt adds certain creaminess to the dish and works as a souring agent too.
3. Idlizza
Idli + Pizza= Idlizza, say what? Spruce up your boring idlis with this interesting idli-xperiment. The idlis are used as pizza base on top of which chopped vegetables (pizza toppings) are sprinkled along with lots of grated cheese. This works well when you’ve got leftover idlis but have run out of sambar and chutney.
4. Idli Manchurian
A spicy and flavourful way to make idlis taste even better is this idli manchurian. Tossed in soy sauce and chilli sauce, the idlis can be stir-fried and eaten as evening snacks. The Chinese flavours, surprisingly work well in case of idlis. You can add tomato sauce and some caramelized onions to add a tinge of sweetness to the whole dish.
