Anyway, the one time that we did eat idlis at Murugan Idli Kadai, I happened to ask for the recipe. It was cheeky, but I did it anyway. As many pointed out later, this recipe is also posted on their website.
Here’s how that story went. We were eating away to glory wondering whether we should ask someone for yet another refill of chutney when the chef came out for something, smiled at us and said “chutney venuma?” (would you like some chutney?). I said “vendaam” and after a pause “idli romba super aa irukku, idhukku entha proportion-le arisi uluthamparuppu arappeenge”. (No thank you. Btw, your idlis are superb, what proportion of rice to urad dal do you use for the batter).
Now I don’t need to tell you that this question is quite cheeky. It’s almost like going into KFC and asking what goes into their fried chicken crust. But surprisingly, the cook didn’t even hesitate before saying “veettule pannaa namma arisi jaasthi poduvom. naange inge pannumbothu ulutham paruppu konjam jaasthiya poduvom, athuthaan ungalakku nalla soft idli tharum. 2 glass arisi edutheenganna oru glass ulutham paruppu podunga. appadiye, oru chinna spoon menthayam, apram oru pidi soru. correct aa varum“*
This was the first time I was hearing about adding cooked rice to the idli batter but who was I to argue with the cook at Murugan Idli Kadai. I nodded happily, came home, and forgot all about it.
Eventually, my memory did kick start again and I tried idli as per his recommended recipe. It was strictly average. Then I tried again and the second time, it came out brilliantly.
Murugan Idli Kadai Idli Recipe
Preparation time: 3 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Makes ~ 20 idlis
Ingredients for the Idli Batter:
2 cups of par-boiled ponni rice
1 cup of whole, husked urad dal / ulutham paruppu / uzhunnu parippu
1/4 tsp of fenugreek seeds / menthayam / uluva
A handful of cooked rice
Salt to taste
How to Make Idlis:
1. Soak the rice and dal separately, the dal for about an hour and the rice for about 4 hours. Add the fenugreek seeds to the urad dal while soaking.
2. Grind the urad dal first, with just enough water to grind it to a smooth paste. Once done, remove and set aside.
3. Next, grind the soaked rice. When its almost done but still grainy, add the cooked rice and salt. Grind until smooth and add to the already ground urad dal.
4. Fold together until well combined. Leave in a warm place undisturbed for atleast 8 hours or overnight. Leave enough room in the vessel for the batter to ferment and rise.
5. Once fermented and risen, mix well to let all the air bubbles to escape and the batter to come together well. Don’t overbeat, and if its too thick, add a little water. For idlis, the batter should be slightly thick but of pouring consistency.
6. Pour into oiled indli moulds and steam for not more than 12 minutes. Overcooking idlis can result in very hard idlies and a dry crust on top. Its better to undercook them even, but make sure you don’t overcook idlis.
Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
Makes about 20 idlis
Notes:
– the urad dal : rice proportion is always debatable. Although this recipe seems like the equation is very skewed, the idlies came out super well for me. If the quality of your urad dal is very good, you can get away with adding more rice.
– I made dosa with this batter the next day and they turned out ok but I would prefer more rice in my dosa batter. This works better for idlis.
– Make extra idlis, store in the refrigerator and microwave with some sprinkled water on top. Serve immediately.
* the translation for that roughly is: when we make idlis at home, we tend to add more rice. Here, we add more urad dal. The proportion is 1:2 and I also add a small spoon of fenugreek seeds and a handful of cooked rice. Try this, it will come out well.
Hello Nags
Could you let me know what is ponnu rice and how it is different than the normal basmati rice we use at home ?
Thanks
ponni is a variety of rice that comes in both raw and par-boiled form. use any kind of par-boiled rice for idli or dosa batter if you are not able to get the kind used for idli / dosa
It is ponni rice(the name in Tamil for the river Kaveri) Ponni is feminine for golden
Unlike Basmati it as no distinct flavour and like sona masuri it is suitable for everyday south Indian food. Avoid basmati for foods like dosa and idly.
I usually make Idli batter in a grinder(infact I prefer to use a grinder for batter using udid dal), and the proportion of rice that can be used is more than that in a mixer – usually its 1:3, but have never tried using cooked rice- I guess this receipe talks of using a mixer than a tilting grinder – right? Since my daughter is in the US, I'm sure she can try this receipe with this proportion – but I think the idlis the batter of whichis mixer ground can use rice in the proportion of 1 1/2:1,would using cooked rice make the difference. Do let me know
I have used a wet grinder for this and you are right, when using mixer, you have to use a smaller portion or rice. For this, I'd recommend lessening the rice and the cooked rice proportion to get an even batter for the idlis.
cool picture… will try the recipe soon… keep up the good work
Nice job on the effort of picturing a closeup shot of the idli. Lemme guess…there is a fork/some kinda stick holding the idli up from the rest, am I right? Well great job on the food blogging, Photography(as they 'You eat with your eyes first'), capturing sensational pictures with thoughtful backgrounds….. inspite of a full time job. I love looking at almost all of your pictures…….and the best ones that caught me was the one at Newyork with steaming hot idlies/Pongal on a table with a muted red tablecloth…& the yard in your Mom's home with Kerala's cooling greenery and table roses…….Awesome job..Keep up the good work…….You make many of our lives live beautifully and tastefully……
thank you so much gita! yes you guessed right about how i took the picture. was just a crazy at-the-moment-thing i did when clicking the idlis. idli and pongal (homemade) is my favourite breakfast ever! have you tried this idli recipe?
i also read this recipe, i agree 100%, for me the best ponni rice comes from the reliance fresh store. = i swear! and when i make the dosas with the same batter, i make them small and thick with molagu arachathe abd tea= heavenly.
I never made idli/dosa ever in my life…. But this recipe made me super-duper in making awesome, soft idlis and crispy dosas……. Batter is good for both idli/dosa….
making idli or dosa batter at home is super easy as you can see. this recipe is quite foolproof but i have better luck making idlis with it than dosa. i have another idli or dosa batter recipe that works really well, will post soon! 🙂
Another lil secret to share from an expert named Muthusamy, who started off selling idlis on a small cycle across the streets of Dadar/Matunga area, now a billionaire and a reputed caterer for S.Indian specialties in Mumbai – He says never mix the idli batter once it raises. Let it stay airy ; if u mix it, the batter sits & the idlis become hard once cold. We tried this at home & ever since hv been following it. Result: Idlis stay as soft even if left over through out the day!
Ps. I personally prefer his idlis to Murugan idlis. He uses the proportion of 3:1 of Pulanga arasi:Uzhandhu parrupu and adds some vendayam seeds too.
Some people add soaked awal (puffed rice) into the batter while grinding it. Hvnt tried it, but supposed to make idlis soft.
i have tried idlis with your ponnirice with the proportion mentionedaah.. idli .s were super hits!!tq very much..
i have tried idlis with your ponnirice with the proportion mentionedaah.. idli .s were super hits!!tq very much..
amazing recipe.. i tried this.. my first idli batter grinding :).. idlis were nice.. except some idli s were not cooked inside . i believe i hav to keep some more time.. when we went to chennai last time we had idli from " murugans idli" so i am also familiar with their taste.. 🙂
that's great! i use this idli batter recipe often too but my go-to idli recipe uses different proportions. i will post that soon 🙂
Hi Nags,
I do not have a wet grinder here in the US. I have made idli many a times in my home (India). It will be soft as I followed my mom's spec on the rice:ulundhu proportion (3:1). I recently got a a nice mixie and followed the same old proportion. But the idli was little hard. I was wondering why it's happening like this. Then yesterday I tried your proportions of 2:1 and the idlies came out exactly how it used to be in India. Thanks so much girl! 🙂
Does anybody know Murugan Idli Kadai Idli podi Recipe.