Idli

My first attempt at making Idli was not a total disaster, but I'm glad there was no one there watching. I soaked my urad dal over night. But, I didn't read the directions properly and didn't let the beans ferment.

This is the recipe.
Take a cup of white urad dal
Soak it over night
Blend it into a creamy paste
Combine it with twice as much rice ceral
Now, let that ferment overnight
Add some baking powder and steam in an idli tray

I wanted the idli for dinner that night, so I skipped the fermenting process. As a result, the idli came out with a mouth feel very similar to corn bread. Kind of gritty, but thick and satisfying. Idlis are supposed to be light. This wasn't.

One nice thing I learned, though, is that the idli steamer isn't necessary. I simply put a thin pie plate over some boiling water. I used inverted custard cups to hold the plate above the water, but some crumpled aluminum foil would work, too. They didn't come out looking as perfectly round as they should have, but they have a satisfying rustic look to them.