Meet South India’s Favorite Comfort Food

Few things can beat the feeling of biting into a piping hot idli, soft as cloud and with the characteristic sharp after-taste that this amazing dish leaves on one’s palate.

Idli, the south Indian version of rice cake, is made from a fermented batter of ground rice, lentils, fenugreek seeds and salt. For most South Indians it is the top most comfort food and is very commonly eaten at breakfast.  The perfect idli is soft, fluffy and pillowy to touch. They are usually two to three inches in diameter and are cooked in a steamer.

 Idli by itself is mostly bland with a slightly sour aftertaste that comes from the fermentation process. The traditional way of eating idli is to have it with accompaniments such as a coconut/peanut chutney and sambar. Sambar is a lentil preparation with loads of onion, garlic, spices and often vegetables added to it. The idlis are usually dipped in chutney or soaked in sambar before eating. The bland taste of idli readily soaks up the flavors of the accompaniments for a tastier meal.

There is an unfermented variety of idli too, called rava idli. Rava is semolina and idlis made with rava, instead of rice, do not need fermentation. The rava idli batter is often flavored with chopped ginger, chilies, curry leaves and onion as well.

The texture of idli varies from region to region. While some regions prefer a grainy idli, others like their idlis to be smooth and buttery. Even the size of idli differs. But, one thing remains constant, which is that all varieties of idli are very healthy and low in calories. Weight watchers often add idli to their diet as it provides significant amounts of nutrition at a very low calorie intake.

With health, nutrition and taste combined into one fluffy cake, idlis are one of India’s best foods for sure!