Mallige is Jasmine flower in Kannada and just like jasmine flowers, these idlis turn out pristine white, very soft and delicate. I have been using this recipe for making idlis since a long time and love how beautiful they turn out apart from being very soft.

My husband’s aunt too loves this recipe and follows it for making idlis. They live in a farm and have to feed workers when some farm work is going on. So these idlis come handy as they use less urad dal as compared to regular idlis, yet turn out super soft. So it is economic specially while making huge batches.

I have been lucky enough to get to stay in the farm for about 4 months right after my marriage while hubby had to go back to Qatar after his vacation. Those few months of living in the farm gave me a lifetime of lessons and beautiful memories. Some of them are:

* How to live life without internet or proper phone access and still it was super fun and I hardly used my phone except to talk with hubby or my mother.

* How beautiful it is to wake up to birds chirping amidst greenery and just sit looking at its beauty early in the morning.

* How to treat workers like our own family and feed them with love to their hearts content.

* Hubby’s aunt whom I lovingly call mhave is a very generous person and I learnt from her to never let any person who comes to our house leave empty stomach. The way they treat their guests is simply amazing.

All these and many more memories of living there are etched in my heart forever and I thank God for the unforgettable and precious experience.

Here’s sharing the idli recipe. Hope you all try and love it. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 26 Idlis}

2 Cups Idli Rava or Rice Rava or rice semolina [OR 1 Cup white Rice]

1/2 Cup Urad dal

1/2 Cup Poha or flattened rice or rice flakes or Aval

Salt to taste

Oil to grease the idli plates

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak the urad dal for about 4 hours in a large vessel.

Note: If using rice, soak rice too for 4 hours.

2. Grind to a fine paste. Add to the large (preferably) steel vessel.

3. Add washed Poha and rice rava in the mixer and grind for few minutes. Not to a fine paste. Just few pulses.

Note: If using rice, grind rice and Poha together to a slightly grainy paste so that it resembles rava texture.

4. Now add to the ground urad dal batter. Mix well with hands. Then keep for fermentation overnight or for 8 to 10 hours.

5. The fermented batter. Though it does not seem so, the batter had risen double the size and was perfect with air bubbles in it.

6. Put the batter in the greased idli moulds and steam for 20 minutes or till done.

7. Remove and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I usually serve these Idlis with Raw Onion chutney and it makes a delicious combination. For the chutney, grind together about 1 Cup of coconut gratings with 3 to 4 Red chillies and 1 medium sized Onion and salt. Remove in a bowl and drizzle coconut oil. Mix well and serve. No need to heat the coconut oil.

* Idli rava is rice rava or rice semolina and not wheat semolina or rava that we use to make upma.

* Don’t add more idli rava than mentioned or the Idlis will turn slightly hard. The measurement is perfect to get the softest and spongiest Idlis.

* If you don’t have idli rava, just use rice instead as mentioned above in ingredients. I too use rice when I don’t get idli rava and the idlis turns out very soft.

*You can make super soft dosas too with this batter. When using idli rava in the batter, the dosas turn crispy. When using rice in the batter and if ground smooth, it gives really soft dosas.