Fulfill Your Appetite With Healthy Idli In Daily Breakfast

South Indian cuisines are quite different from the rest of the country. However, people all over India are now fond of various types of South Indian dishes, among which Idli is a foremost name. It looks like small, round cakes that are made from rice and black lentils. Many health-conscious people prefer this food at breakfast, as it is considered to be healthier than many fried or baked food items that are usually served in common households.

Important food values associated with traditional idli recipe

Idli Recipe | Image Resource : pinterest.com

Rice is the chief ingredient for making idli, which is proved by its white colour that strongly resembles rice. Usually, parboiled rice is preferred for making this food, as it is known to contain more nutritional value than ordinary rice. Whole black gram is added to the rice, both of which are soaked with water and ground into a fine paste. This black gram is a rich source of protein, potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins.

Then this paste is fermented for overnight or minimum of12 hours, to break down the complex starch particles of rice so that this food can be digested easily. Sometimes, lactic acid is added to the batter for faster fermentation, which makes this food more easily digestible. The simplified nutrients are easily absorbed into the blood and readily take part in body metabolism. Thus, it is an ideal food for aged people who suffer from weaker digestive capacity.

A specially designed idli pot is available in the market, which is needed for simple idli preparation. The fermented batter is put into the round moulds of this pot, after greasing these moulds with a little amount of oil. Finally, the idli batter is steamed in boiling water placed in the pot, to form soft idli. Hence, this steamed food is much healthier than all fried or toasted foods that are seen in Indian breakfast.

Idli is generally served with chutney or sambar, both of which are cooked at home with healthy ingredients.  Pudina chutney, tomato chutney, beet chutney, and idli podi are the common preferences for accompanying idli. Many South Indians prefer to eat lightly cooked vegetable curries, like potato korma and allam pachadi that are made with many beneficial vegetables and spices.

Now, different flavours are now added to the traditional idli recipe, for making it more delicious for children and earnest foodies. Instead of rice and black gram, idli can be made with leftover bread pieces, which is as tasty as the original South Indian idli. Semolina is added to the normal idli batter to make Rava idli. Sanna is a type of idli made in the Konkan or western coast of India, which is made by fermenting a paste of black gram, coconut milk, and coconut water.  Sweet corn, green moong, cheese, and mushroom may also be added in ground form to form tastier and innovative varieties of idli.