Rosematta Rice and Idly Batter
Imagine munching on the fluffy clouds. That was my experience of Rosematta idlies.
Rosematta rice, the ancient terracotta colored rice from Kerala region of India and the nutritional urad dal are soaked and ground together. After overnight fermentation, the batter is steam-cooked in a special saucer like molds. The result is pinkish-white idlies that are lightweight, delicate and fluffy. They are worth preparing just to take in the breathtaking pale pink color alone. Of course, it also helps that they taste wonderfully good the way idlies should taste.
Rosematta idlies are truly for nostalgic dreamers only, the ones who find munching on the clouds a familiar thing to do.
Rosematta Rice and Urad Dal ~ After Six hours of Water Soaking
Recipe:
(for 12 to 16 idlies)
2 cups Rosematta rice
1 cup urad dal
Idly molds for steam-cooking
Soak rice and urad dal in about 6 cups of water for about 6 hours. Drain the water and grind to silky smooth consistency using a stone grinder or blender. Remove and keep the batter covered in a warm place, overnight or for about 8 hours. Fermentation happens naturally, and yeast/baking soda etc are not used in this traditional method. The batter doubles in size and small bubbles appear in the batter. That means time to cook idlies.
Add one teaspoon of salt to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into idly mold impressions and steam-cook, following the method described in detail here. When the batter turns from runny to firm, remove the mold and using a spoon carefully separate idlies from the impressions.
Serve hot. Coconut or peanut chutney and shallot sambar is the usual accompaniments to idlies.
Rosematta Idly with Coconut Chutney ~ Our Weekend Brunch
Notes:
Rosematta rice, also known as Kerala Red Rice is avialable in Indian grocery shops here in US.
Recipe Idea : From My Brain
