Starting in 2015, March 30th has been celebrated as World Idli Day. It was the inspiration of Eniyavan, a popular idli-only caterer from Chennai. In 2015, Eniyavan chose March 30th as World Idli Day. To mark the day he made and supplied 1328 varieties of idlis. And, on the same day, a government staff sliced a large 44 kg idli to officially announce March 30th as World Idli Day. Share your idli stories, recipes, ratios, memories, facts and trivia.
I went looking for the origin of this humble delicacy. Apparently, according to KT Achaya, a famous food historian and scientist, the word idli comes from iddalige. It was first mentioned in a Kannada book called Vaddaradhane by Sivakotyacharya in AD 920. In AD 1130, it appeared again as iddarika in a Sanskrit literature work called Manasollasa. This book describes idli as small balls made of fine urad flour, seasoned with pepper powder, cumin powder, and asafoetida. It is also said that idli originates from a similar Indonesian food called kedli. South Indian cooks of Indonesian kings who came back from Indonesia to find brides, brought fermentation practices to South India.
I can say idli is the one dish I have a love- hate relationship with. I miss it if I don't have it for a long time. But, if my in laws are here which is most of the year, at least 2 out of 7 days it's only idlis that's made. I get so sick of idlis by the time they leave that for 3 months, I take an idli break. But my husband and my in laws can eat idlis everyday. Even when we go to restaurants they order idlis. I can't fathom why would you spend $$ , time and energy to go to a restaurant to eat something that can be prepared at home in 10 mins tops. Such is my relationship with the humble idli. Yet I'm not ashamed to say that after weary travels - especially one where there's no Indian food available, all I crave for is rasam, rice and idlis.
Magic of Idli lies in sambhar and chutney.If not for these accompaniments Idli will taste nothing.so is Idli over glorified and accompaniments underrated?Also am a dosa person especially ghee dosa..There should be dosa day! And ghee dosa tastes great even without those accompaniments
The Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) has developed "space idlis" along with chutney powder and sambar powder for astronuts as part of India's first manned space mission. Wherever it originated, it is going to space soon.
When she is mini soaked in ghee small onion hot sambar it is mough watering. For making mini idli separate ss containers with pans available. Kids love it when it is offered to them in mini size. Hotel saravana in Chennai and its branches national and inter national offer this item during specific hours. When other items take time to prepare, my family first order mini idli. In Bombay they serve idli with dahi and idli with butter. Fried idli served in all udipi hotels in Mumbai. Idli is handy and packing it is easy. Long rail journey in the past idli with podï is a must. Since steam cooked easily gets digested. T is said Ulundu is the ingredient with idli rice and when the mixed dough fermented properly said to produce certain compounds that delays joint stiffness. A day is rightly dedicated for this item.
