Healthy Idly

Idly is a very common breakfast in South India. These are steamed rice-lentil cakes served with chutney and sambar. Idlis usually are made of fermented batter of black lentils (de-husked) and rice or idly rawa. I have grown up seeing white idlis and this was a regular breakfast at our home.

Lentils are great source of protein, essential amino acids, micro nutrients.... These can be consumed with or without the husk (skin). Prior to the invention of milling machines, lentils were eaten with the husk. The husk contains the highest dietary fiber. After the milling process was invented , the husk is being removed and the dietary fiber in lentils is disappearing. 

Couple of years back, I was inspired by Dr. Manthena Sathyanaraya Raju, who is a naturo-therapist. He had done a TV show in which he explained the importance of the husk for rice, lentils etc. From then on, I started using black lentils (urad dal) with husk in making idli, dosa...

Ingredients

1 cup whole black urad dal (black lentils) with skin 

2 1/2 cup idly rawa

1 tsp salt (to taste)

Method

• Soak urad dal and idly rawa overnight separately.
• Wash urad dal and grind to fine paste.
• Drain the water from idly rawa and mix with the ground urad dal.
• Mix the batter well, cover with a lid and keep the batter in a warm place for 8-9 hours. 
• The next morning, the batter will rise and double in quantity. (The container should be big enough to hold the doubled batter, otherwise the batter will overflow). 
• Add salt and mix well.
• Add some water to the idli streamer and keep it on medium heat,
• Grease the idli moulds with little oil or just wet the moulds with water and pour enough batter onto each moulds (don't overload).
• Keep the idly mould in the steamer, cover it and steam the idlis for 10-12 min on a medium flame. (If using pressure cooker, remove the weight/whistle from the lid)
• Remove the idlis  and serve hot with your favorite chutney.

Note: To easily remove the idlis from the moulds, turn the mould up-side-down and keep under running water for a second. You will notice how easy it is to remove idly from the moulds.

Left over batter can be refrigerated.