Perhaps I don't know any South Indian home where they don't relish home made rice pancakes.What can be more divine than a super soft steaming idlly accompanying some freshly ground hot chutney.But in how many homes does the idllys live up to it's consistent shape,size and texture all the time.We might be ready to compromise on the shape & size but not on the soft texture,I know.Experience with an hard idlly could never make you turn back to it for a life time.
Some of the prominently liked idllys are plain idlly,kanchevaram idlly,carrot cashew idlly,ghee idlly & rava idlly.If the classification is based on size, then we have 14 idllys,Plate idllys,cup idllys & ofcourse the normal idllys.Then the sambar idllys-the most divine form of idlly for some.But i love it with the podi than with chutney or sambar.I grew up eating idlly with podi week after week from times memorable.And still the love hasn't diminished a bit.Hot idllys marinated in a combo of chilly powder+gingely oil leaves a pure magic on the tongue.The podi again has it's own set of classifications.Finely ground brown chillies with pods of garlic and salt, is one.Coarsely ground podi made of some extra urad dhal is another.What so ever , there is nothing like hot tender soft idllys with accompaniments of your choice.
If there are leftovers after a bunch of hours,thatz when i like it the most.The idllys can undergo a smooth supple transition to what we call the Idlly upma.Itz one of my favourite item for an hungry everning.By just tossing the torn pieces of leftover idllys under fire with handful of chopped onions,pounded garlic, a stem of curry leaves , few red chillies,urad dal & a spoon of oil,anyone can create a magic with the otherwise easily abandoned cold,rough idllys.
I had once been to this restaurant named - Murugan Idlly Shop,ironically when i was in a place outside the country.But they have prominent outlets in Chennai itself. The name was catchy and tempting my taste buds while I looked forward for some authentic idllys.My cousin did more justice to the money she spent in dollars for each relishing idlly that i consumed.Came the idllys after an order time of less than 5 minutes,small in size,pure white in shade and hot in a plate.They served all the possibly coexisting accompaniments but being a voracious podi lover, i went for it bravely.
Every attempt to unite those mouth melting idllys with podi+gingely oil was worth the dollar each idlly costed.Just like a cotton candy, at the very touch and a mild pull, the idllys found it's destined path from my hand to mouth in repeated successions until i was done with every single grain on my plate.That was one of the divine supper in my life,until now.The podi there however had a secret ingredient - ground till with added brown chillies,i believe.If you are an idlly aficionado like me,in Things to do before u die list you ought to include this -try eating an idlly there if not in a South Indian home like mine.Worth the money & taste.Ofcourse if u come home sometime for this feast,we don't charge.Itz free.
