By Palasis Cooney, wholefoods chef
Travelling really opens up the senses and brings to light little treasures that you would never normally come across sitting at home with your everyday routine. The first "treasure" meal in India we stumbled across was the magically soft, fluffy, fermented and steamed rice treats called idli. Oh man what an experience!
With your right hand you grab this little disc of fluffyness and mop up nicely tempered and blended chutneys until there is absolutely nothing left. Then you need some more of everything.
The first experience with this dish was a completely satisfying one. You may want some organic leafy greens to balance it out or a fresh raw salsa to give it a crisp zing. By all means add these, but the truth is that it's a perfectly satisfying whole meal as it is. There's definitely a sweetness to wholegrains that fulfills the needs of your senses and satisfies your belly. Idli meets those needs.
The good part is that these babies are fermented so digestion is easier. In this recipe we substituted white rice for brown rice and allow for a little more fermentation time.
Here's what to do.
Travelling really opens up the senses and brings to light little treasures that you would never normally come across sitting at home with your everyday routine. The first "treasure" meal in India we stumbled across was the magically soft, fluffy, fermented and steamed rice treats called idli. Oh man what an experience!
With your right hand you grab this little disc of fluffyness and mop up nicely tempered and blended chutneys until there is absolutely nothing left. Then you need some more of everything.
The first experience with this dish was a completely satisfying one. You may want some organic leafy greens to balance it out or a fresh raw salsa to give it a crisp zing. By all means add these, but the truth is that it's a perfectly satisfying whole meal as it is. There's definitely a sweetness to wholegrains that fulfills the needs of your senses and satisfies your belly. Idli meets those needs.
The good part is that these babies are fermented so digestion is easier. In this recipe we substituted white rice for brown rice and allow for a little more fermentation time.
Here's what to do.
Idli (Fermented Rice Cakes)
50 grams Fenugreek
250 grams Black Dhal (urad dhal)
1 kg brown or white rice
1 tsp salt
filtered water
Soak the fenugreek with the rice and in a separate bowl soak the black dhal. Use 2 parts water to 1 part rice or dhal. After 4 hours drain dhal and separate and discard the husks. Drain the rice and the fenugreek and mix together with the dhal, reserving the same water for blending.
Next, blend the mixture with salt and 2- 3 cups of water to get it to a puree or paste. It needs to be blended well so a vita mix or blender with power is necessary. The mixture needs to be quite thick, like a thick muffin mix or cashew cream.
Leave the mix covered with a teatowel at room temperature for 6-8 hours (more if using brown rice and in low temperatures) and once it ferments we are ready to go. If you're not using it that day put it in the fridge to stop it from over fermenting.
Add salt to taste and stir the mix with a spatula or your hands. Fill a steamer tray with mixture. Indians have a special Idli steamer which is metal and has many levels, which the keen can find on ebay. You can also improvise with lightly greased creme caramel moulds, dariol moulds, creme brulee ramekins or anything of the like in water baths. Chinese bamboo steamers lined with lightly oiled greaseproof paper would also work. Be creative, you can steam in a slab and then cut it or steam careme caramel moulds in the bamboo steamer. They should only be 1 inch thick.
Cooking time is about 10 minutes. You can check if they're ready by dipping a skewer in one of the idlis - if cooked it will come out clean just like a cake test.
Chutney, sambar and idli go so well together it would be unfair to stop now, so here are 2 more mouth watering recipes.
50 grams Fenugreek
250 grams Black Dhal (urad dhal)
1 kg brown or white rice
1 tsp salt
filtered water
Soak the fenugreek with the rice and in a separate bowl soak the black dhal. Use 2 parts water to 1 part rice or dhal. After 4 hours drain dhal and separate and discard the husks. Drain the rice and the fenugreek and mix together with the dhal, reserving the same water for blending.
Next, blend the mixture with salt and 2- 3 cups of water to get it to a puree or paste. It needs to be blended well so a vita mix or blender with power is necessary. The mixture needs to be quite thick, like a thick muffin mix or cashew cream.
Leave the mix covered with a teatowel at room temperature for 6-8 hours (more if using brown rice and in low temperatures) and once it ferments we are ready to go. If you're not using it that day put it in the fridge to stop it from over fermenting.
Add salt to taste and stir the mix with a spatula or your hands. Fill a steamer tray with mixture. Indians have a special Idli steamer which is metal and has many levels, which the keen can find on ebay. You can also improvise with lightly greased creme caramel moulds, dariol moulds, creme brulee ramekins or anything of the like in water baths. Chinese bamboo steamers lined with lightly oiled greaseproof paper would also work. Be creative, you can steam in a slab and then cut it or steam careme caramel moulds in the bamboo steamer. They should only be 1 inch thick.
Cooking time is about 10 minutes. You can check if they're ready by dipping a skewer in one of the idlis - if cooked it will come out clean just like a cake test.
Chutney, sambar and idli go so well together it would be unfair to stop now, so here are 2 more mouth watering recipes.
Coconut Chutney
50 grams dessicated coconut
50 grams cooked or tinned organic chick peas
25 grams raw peanuts or cashews
2 raw garlic cloves
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
25 grams yellow dhal
2 red chilies
1/4 tsp turmeric
12 curry leaves
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
Roast the chick peas either in a pan on a medium heat stirring for about 5 minutes, or in the oven at 160 degrees C for 5 minutes.
Next make the tempering. Heat the oil to a medium heat. Add the garlic, dhal and chillies and cook for 2 minutes stirring, taking care not to burn. Add the mustard seeds, turmeric and curry leaves and cook lightly for another minute before taking off the heat.
Next add the chick peas, cashews , coconut, coconut milk and extra water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and blend all ingredients well. Check for seasoning.
50 grams dessicated coconut
50 grams cooked or tinned organic chick peas
25 grams raw peanuts or cashews
2 raw garlic cloves
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
25 grams yellow dhal
2 red chilies
1/4 tsp turmeric
12 curry leaves
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
salt to taste
Roast the chick peas either in a pan on a medium heat stirring for about 5 minutes, or in the oven at 160 degrees C for 5 minutes.
Next make the tempering. Heat the oil to a medium heat. Add the garlic, dhal and chillies and cook for 2 minutes stirring, taking care not to burn. Add the mustard seeds, turmeric and curry leaves and cook lightly for another minute before taking off the heat.
Next add the chick peas, cashews , coconut, coconut milk and extra water. Bring to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Take off the heat and blend all ingredients well. Check for seasoning.
Tomato Sambar
3 diced tomatoes
1 diced red onion
2 red chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp roasted chick peas
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
25 grams yellow dhal
12 curry leaves
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp tamarind puree
salt to taste
This one is best made in two separate pans, one to start off the tomato and another to make the tempering.
First roast the chick peas as in the coconut chutney. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil and gently fry off the onions for 2 - 3 minutes then add the tomatoes and continue to fry for another 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add the roasted chick peas, dessicated coconut, tamarind puree and 1/2 a cup of water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes while making the tempering.
Heat the other tbsp of oil on medium heat and add the chilli, yellow dhal and garlic. Stir gently for 1 - 2 minutes. Next add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and cumin seeds and fry while stirring gently till fragrant. This should take about 2 minutes more. Take off the heat.
Add this mixture to the tomato mixture after 30 minutes stir in well.
Blend this mixture well in a high powered blender and serve.
3 diced tomatoes
1 diced red onion
2 red chillies
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp roasted chick peas
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp dessicated coconut
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
25 grams yellow dhal
12 curry leaves
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp tamarind puree
salt to taste
This one is best made in two separate pans, one to start off the tomato and another to make the tempering.
First roast the chick peas as in the coconut chutney. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil and gently fry off the onions for 2 - 3 minutes then add the tomatoes and continue to fry for another 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add the roasted chick peas, dessicated coconut, tamarind puree and 1/2 a cup of water. Simmer gently for 30 minutes while making the tempering.
Heat the other tbsp of oil on medium heat and add the chilli, yellow dhal and garlic. Stir gently for 1 - 2 minutes. Next add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and cumin seeds and fry while stirring gently till fragrant. This should take about 2 minutes more. Take off the heat.
Add this mixture to the tomato mixture after 30 minutes stir in well.
Blend this mixture well in a high powered blender and serve.
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