(Idlee
Editor's note:These instructions are excerpted from Julie Sahni's bookClassic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking.萨尼也分享一些有用的翻云覆雨g tips exclusively with Epicurious, which we've added at the bottom of the page.
_This recipe originally accompaniedSteamed Rice and Bean Dumplings in Spicy Lentil and Radish Sauce_(Idlee Sambaar).
Idleeis the world-famous south Indian breakfast or tiffin treat. It is made with a fermented batter containing soaked black gram bean paste and rice semolina (cream of rice). The batter is poured into the depressions in theidleemolds and steamed to yield porous, spongy cushions calledidlee.The proportion of beans to rice is the most crucial element in making light and airyidlees:The rice is always twice the quantity of beans. The dumplings expand when they are steamed, and their nutritive value goes up with the fermentation of the batter; they become rich in proteins that are easily digestible.
These dumplings are traditionally served withcoconut chutneyand Red Gun Powder (see tips at bottom ofIdlee Sambaarrecipe). Children usually like to eat them with palm jaggery syrup, which is somewhat difficult to find here in the United States. However, unsulphured molasses, natural honey, and maple syrup make wonderful substitutes.
The best way to keep the dumplings warm is to put them in another steamer over hot (not boiling) water. You may use any kind you want as long as the steamer is large enough to accommodate all the dumplings without crushing them.
Ingredients
Makes twenty-eight to thirty 2 1/2-inch round dumplings
Step 1
1. Pick clean and wash the beans. Put them in a bowl and add water to cover by at least 2 inches, and let them soak for 8 hours. Drain and rinse the beans.
Step 2
2. Add the beans and 1 1/3 cups water to the container of a food processor or blender and puree them. The puree should be extremely smooth, light, and fluffy. Transfer to a large bowl.
Step 3
3. Line a sieve with a double layer of cheesecloth and put the cream of rice cereal in it. Hold the sieve under cold running water right in the kitchen sink. Rinse the cereal until no clinging starch is remaining and the water begins to run clear through the cheesecloth. Squeeze the rice cereal thoroughly of all moisture and add it to the bean paste. Beat the bean and rice mixture thoroughly. Add salt if desired. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place it in a warm place for 8 to 12 hours to ferment the batter.
Step 4
4. When you are ready to make the dumplings, stir the baking soda gently into the batter, using a rubber spatula. (Do not overblend as the batter must remain foamy and airy for the dumplings to come out light.) Let the batter rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
Step 5
5. While the batter is resting, cut pieces of cheesecloth into neat rounds or squares to fit the depressions of theidleedumpling racks. Each piece of cheesecloth lining can be used twice. Therefore you will need half as many pieces for lining as the number of dumplings. The cheesecloth pieces should be slightly larger than the depressions so that they overhang by about 1/3 inch.
Step 6
6. Line the dumpling racks with the pieces of cheesecloth. Brush them lightly with oil. Bring water to a boil in theidleesteamer, a pressure cooker, or a 6- to 8-quart sauce pot in which theidleeracks fit.
Step 7
7. Spoon about 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter into each lined depression of the rack. Attach the racks and place in the steamer.
Step 8
8. Steam the dumplings for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean. Remove the racks from the steamer apparatus and separate the dumpling racks. Pick up each dumpling with the cloth and gently peel away the cheesecloth. Place the steamed dumplings in another steamer or a covered dish to keep them warm.
Step 9
9. Turn the cheesecloth pieces over and line the racks with the smooth reverse side up. Brush lightly with oil. Proceed with the remaining batter the same way.
Step 10
To serve, place the dumplings (2 per person) in a rimmed soup plate or a shallow bowl about 5 inches in diameter. Make an indentation in the center of the dumpling with your index finger or with the back of a wooden spoon. Pour about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil in the depression and over the dumplings.
• An idlee steamer looks like a a multitiered serving platter with egg-shaped indentations in each round tier to hold the batter. The indentations are perforated to allow the steam to pass through as the idlee are cooking (which keeps them light), and the whole stack fits into a covered pot. Idlee steamers are available online atwww.innoconcepts.com/idleez.htm. If you don't have one, an egg poacher can be used, but the idlee won't be quite as light.
• Split white gram beans are available online atwww.ethnicgrocer.com, under the nameurid dal.
• Part of the vegetarian cuisine of south India, this dish, which is traditionally served at tiffin (a lunch or midmorning snack), contains the perfect proportion of rice to beans to create a complete protein—the combination of various sources of protein that vegetarians must consume in order to get all the amino acids present in meat. "And," says Sahni, "because the beans are fermented, their molecules are broken down in a way that makes them easier to digest."
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Reviews (4)
Back to TopWow! What an interesting recipe. I am living in Belize and didn't have any of the right ingredients or tools, but it worked wonderfully! I used garbanzo beans and quinoa flakes (because they are what I had brought from the US). For a steamer, I poked holes in the bottoms of the cups in an aluminum foil muffin tin. Then I lined them with oiled muffin papers - also poked holes in those - and set it on a rack in a deep frying pan with water beneath and a big cover over all of it. Steamed them beautifully. I made these to go with Spicy Lentil and Radish Sauce on this site, which I also loved. BUT I liked the dumplings better on their own with sesame oil and will use the rest of the radish sauce as curry over rice instead. Also, I won't wash the rice/quinoa flakes next time since the last reviewer mentioned using parboiled rice without rinsing out the starch.
susanbrill
san ignacio, belize
3/31/2012
As a south Indian, I have to say this is one weird recipe for idlis. Normally people use parboiled rice (available in any Indian store) along with the urad dal in a 2:1 ratio. Soak and grind them seperately before mixing, and forget the baking soda. It's important to make sure the batter is salted and not too thick before you leave it for fermentation. Idli is a little tricky, but so worth it.
Anonymous
5/30/2007
I needed a recipe for these after I left home...this was great! They are not meant to be eaten with honey. Make them with the rasam recipe on this site (I think it is called Tomato Dal Soup) and eat them as dumplings in that. MMM breakfast the traditional way!
stumbler
Cleveland
11/17/2006
Did this as a Saturday culinary experiment. Didn't have a steamer/poacher - I lined a metal sieve with kitchen cloth, placed it over a pot of simmering water, and covered with a lid. I was impressed by the light, spongy texture. The taste, however, I did not like. It tasted like the lentils, but in a harsh, almost chemical way. No amount of honey could hide it. Fun to try a new cooking method, liked the idea of leaving it to ferment by itself - but will not be making this again.
Anonymous
2/19/2005
