Kultha Ramdan/Idli-Steamed Rice cakes with a dash of Horsegram

Idlis are steamed rice cakes which are a South Indian speciality popular all over the globe.Here is a recipe that involves Horse gram/Kulith/Kulthi as well in addition to the rice and urad daal/split black gram.I do not know the meaning of the term ramdan though it is called so.This is a speciality prepared by the Konkani community of coastal Karnataka,India.This is a healthy food as it steamed and also a filling one.Hope you all will like it !!

Ingredients:
Urad daal(split blackgram)        1/2pav(3/4cup)
Kulith(horsegram)                         1tbsp
Idly rava(cream of rice)              1.5cups**(refer note mentioned below)
Salt                                                       to taste

Method:

• Wash urad daal and horsegram together and soak for 5-6 hours.
• Blend this using required water in a blender or a grinder to the consistency of idli batter.
• Once done transfer into a large vessel(as this increases in volume during fermentation)
• Reserve the water used in washing the blender/grinder.
• In a bowl take the idli rava and soak it with the water reserved.(just enough to soak the rava)
• After a few minutes the rava would have completley absorbed mositure,add this along with salt to the prepared batter and mix well.
• Ferment overnight.

Preparing and Serving idlis:

• Take a greased round dish(with 2" depth) and pour the batter to fill only 3/4th full and steam for 20 minutes.
• Check with a knife pierced in the centre,if comes clean which means they are done.
• Cut to squares and serve drizzled with coconut oil(option only for coastal people who can stand the flavour ) and chutney.

Note:**

• I have mentioned 1.5cups-Earlier I used to prepare the batter in a mixer blender,there the volume of batter is less,where I used to put only 1 cup of idly rava and  only 1 batch  yielded.
• In the above recipe I have used grinder to prepare the batter where the volume is quite double than prepared in mixie jar,also it makes 2 batches of extra light idlis/ramdan,hence the quantity of rava used is 1.5cups

Variations:

• The batter can be instead prepared into idlis using the moulds.
• Traditionally in a idli steamer a cloth is spread lined with banana leaf and then batter is poured over and steamed for more than 30 mts due to the quantity poured.

Tips:
You may freeze the leftover pieces in a freezer bag  and re-heat in a microwave,by just sprinkling a little water over it, whenever you run out of snacks.I use in this manner when we are back home after an outing.Believe me it tastes as fresh as it should be.This rule applies even to idlis,pathrado and so on..