Preparation time : 24 hours / 8 hours to ferment + 3/4 hours to soak the rice + 25-30 minutes to grind the batter
Cooking time : 10- 15 minutes
Serves : 4 members
Description
The minute I got to see these vella pola at a relatives place in Kerala, I was reminded about a similar white steamed bread served to us once a year for Easter feast in boarding school. But this was entirely different from those Easter treats. I made sure to get the recipe and tried it out when I had guests for lunch. Keeping my fingers crossed followed the recipe. Nervousness was killing me as the vella pola’s were being steamed. Removed them and waiting to de – mould them once a bit cool. The first one I de – mounded came out easy, airy and light as it must be. I made sure to taste it and it was pitch perfect. A big hit on the table as well with the North Indian guests who were having it for the first time. These sort of cutting edge regional food’s excite me a lot as you can’t find them in restaurants but only in homes that are delicious tribute to our motherland. These culinary bonanza recipes that you get to learn from one another that are rarely documented but stored in mind through mouth of word from one generation to the other always top popular charts for me. Give the ready to eat kit’s and food court junk a miss and get into making these knock out home made Indian food being loyal to our roots the old school way.
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Basmati rice | 1 cup |
| Cooked rice | 1/2 cup |
| Grated coconut | 1 cup |
| Sugar | 1/4 cup |
| Yeast | 1 teaspoon |
| Soda - bi - carbonate | 1 teaspoon |
| Semolina Water | 1/4 cup |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Soak basmati rice for four hours. Cook semolina with 3/4 cup of water and Cool completely.
- Grind soaked rice with grated coconut. Add cooked rice and grind further to a smooth paste adding very little water.
- Mix ground rice mix with cooked semolina, soda – bi – carbonate, yeast sugar and salt. Combine well.
- Place covered in a warm place for eight hours or over night to ferment .
- Grease small shallow steel plates with oil. Pour two ladles of fermented batter. Steam in a idli vessel for 10 – 15 minutes.
- Cool for 15 minutes and de-mould as when hot it’s sticky. Cut into triangles.
- Serve warm with mutton / chicken curry or vegetable stew.
