SUPER SOFT FLUFFY CLOUD IDLIS

May 16, 2023
By Mary Anthony
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SUPER SOFT FLUFFY CLOUD IDLIS RECIPE / SAGO IDLI / SABUDANA IDLI / KUSHBOO IDLI / SPONGY IDLI / MALLIGE IDLI

These idlis are super soft and melt in the mouth.

INGREDIENTS

Idli rice – 3 cup
Sabudhana / sago – ½ cup
Murmura [ puffed rice ] / poha – ½ cup
Whole skinless urad dal – 1 cup
Salt to taste
Clean cotton Cloth for steaming idlis [must ] white cotton cloth like mens handkerchief / polyster / hoisery or banana leaf or butter paper

NOTE – if grinding in mixie use 3 cups rice or use 4 cups rice for grinder .

PREPARATION

Clean ,wash and rinse the rice + sago + murmura together ,soak for 6 to 8 hrs.

Clean and wash the urad dal and soak for 4 hrs separately.

** Once it is soaked ,refrigerate it for sometime [1 hr or more ] .- TIP – if grinding in mixie .

Grind the rice and sago into a medium thick batter by adding little water .Remove it in a big container.

Grind the soaked urad dal into a fine batter by adding little water .Add this to the rice batter .

Add salt and mix well with clean hands.

** IF GRINDING IN MIXIE – Use a beater to beat the batter. Beat for minimum 1 to 2 mins .If using hands then beat for atleast 3 to 4 mins .Same tip goes for dhokla /dahi vada /medu vada . – TIP

Keep aside for fermentation for min 10 – 12 hrs or over night .[ if summer then 8 or 9 hrs is ok .]

The batter should not be watery or very thick, it has to be of medium consistency like regular idli batter.

METHOD

Take the fermented batter .

No need to mix again ,use the batter as it is .

Meanwhile keep the steamer ready .

Line the moulds with cotton cloth or grease the idli moulds with little oil OR place a butter paper as shown in video .

Pour the batter in each mould. Just 3 tbsp batter .

While keeping the plates on the stand second plate deep mould should be over the holes of the first plate .

Steam it for 10 to 12 mins on medium flame.

Once done remove the stand from the steamer and keep aside for 1 min to cool.

Remove the plate from the stand and invert over a plate. Remove the idli plate and sprinkle some water over the backside of the cooked idlis. Slowly separate the cloth from the Idlis. Soft fluffy Idlis are ready to serve.

Keep in a hot box.

Serve hot with any Southindian accompaniments like chutney /sambar / khurma / rasam / some have it with non veg gravies.

INFO –

These are known as Khusboo idlis. [ named after a famous Tamil actress ]. Named after her as the idlis are pleasantly plump like her.

It is also known as Malligai idli . [ name of a flower in south – jasmine ]

WHY USE CLOTH FOR STEAMING ?

Idli batter is not solid or liquid. It is colloidal. If you pour this batter into idly mould without holes, and cook, it becomes a steam cooked rice cake, and not Idli. If the Idli mould has big holes then the water in the batter will fall through the holes and the Idly will get stuck to the mould.

Therefore a wet squeezed cloth is spread over the moulds to prevent the water in the batter from dripping through the holes of the mould and also make it easier for the steam to pass through the batter smoothly to cook the Idli.

When the Idly is removed from the cloth, a process like peeling the skin also happen and the bottom or top layer which had a contact to other material (cloth) is peeled. This makes the Idli to retain a smooth texture.

A proper Idli is one which is spongy. That is if you press the Idli it should bounce to original shape. It should not stick to hands.

And its easy to take out the idlies from plate. Just place it upside down on a plate , sprinkle some water on the cloth and take it off. Quick and easy.

Cloth idli stays soft for longer time than the other one.

Cloth idlis are not perfect in shape because of the wrinkles of cloth .

**** for more tips on idli batter .Refer to my this recipe – Batter for soft idlis

NOTES

I also made different types of dosa and appe with the same batter . They were also perfect .
As sago is dry ,some also add 1 or 2 tsp oil while grinding .
Consistency of batter should be like regular idli batter.
In some hotels I have seen them using butter paper instead of cloth to cover the moulds.

FOR MORE RECIPES CLICK ON THE NAMES BELOW:-