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Tag: Fermented

  • Idli Sambar

    Idli sambar is the quintessential Tamil breakfast. Idlis are soft, spongy steamed cakes made from a fermented batter of parboiled rice and urad dal, while sambar is a tangy lentil stew made with toor dal, tamarind, vegetables and sambar powder. Together with coconut chutney, they make a light, wholesome and filling meal.

    A good idli is white, soft and fluffy, with a slightly tangy flavour from fermentation. The sambar is sour, slightly sweet and spiced, with vegetables such as drumstick, shallots, brinjal and tomatoes. Tamil homes often make sambar with small onions, called vengaya sambar. It is tangy and comforting. Each spoonful is satisfying and warm.

    Idli sambar is eaten for breakfast across South India and in Udupi restaurants everywhere. Idlis are easy to digest, making them a favourite for children and people recovering from illness. Leftover idlis can be fried with spices to make idli upma or fried idli. Fresh batter keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, ready for quick breakfasts.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsidli rice / urad dal / toor dal / tamarind

    Ingredients

    For the idli

    • 2 cups idli rice (parboiled)
    • 1/2 cup whole urad dal
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • Water as needed

    For the sambar

    • 1/2 cup toor dal
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tbsp tamarind pulp soaked in 1 cup water
    • 10 shallots, peeled
    • 1 drumstick, cut into pieces
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 2 tbsp sambar powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp jaggery
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 dried red chilli
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Soak the rice in water for 5-6 hours. Separately soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 5-6 hours.
    2. Grind the urad dal with cold water to a smooth, fluffy batter. Grind the rice to a slightly coarse batter. Mix both with salt, cover and ferment for 8-12 hours until doubled.
    3. For the sambar, pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 4 whistles. Mash.
    4. Heat 1 tbsp oil, saute the shallots for 3 minutes, then add drumstick and tomato. Add tamarind water, sambar powder, salt and jaggery and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
    5. Add the mashed dal and simmer for 5 minutes. Temper with mustard seeds, fenugreek, red chilli, asafoetida and curry leaves in the remaining oil and pour over. Garnish with coriander.
    6. Grease idli plates, pour batter into each mould and steam for 10-12 minutes on medium-high until a toothpick comes out clean.
    7. Rest for 2 minutes, then scoop out the idlis with a wet spoon.

    Tips

    • Use parboiled idli rice for the softest idlis.
    • Do not overmix the fermented batter; it releases air and makes idlis dense.
    • Sambar thickens on standing; adjust with hot water.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney, sambar and a dollop of ghee.

  • Masala Dosa

    Masala dosa is the most famous dish from South India, and it is closely associated with Udupi restaurants in Karnataka, which spread across the country in the twentieth century. A thin, crisp crepe made from fermented rice and urad dal batter is filled with a spiced potato filling called palya, and served with coconut chutney and sambar.

    A good dosa is golden and crisp on the outside, soft in the centre, and slightly tangy from fermentation. The potato filling is mildly spiced with mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and turmeric, and has soft onions throughout. In Mysore, a red chutney is spread inside the dosa before adding the potato.

    Masala dosa is eaten for breakfast or as a light meal at any time of day. Homemade dosas take some practice, especially spreading the batter thinly, but are well worth the effort. The batter keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, so dosas can be made quickly once a batch is ready.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineUdupi
    DietVegan
    CourseBreakfast
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time70 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / urad dal / potato / onion

    Ingredients

    For the dosa batter

    • 2 cups raw rice (sona masoori)
    • 1/2 cup urad dal
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 1 1/2 tsp salt
    • Water as needed
    • Oil or ghee for cooking

    For the potato palya

    • 4 medium potatoes, boiled and coarsely mashed
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp urad dal
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 2 green chillies, chopped
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 2 onions, thinly sliced
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Soak the rice in water for 5-6 hours. Separately soak the urad dal, fenugreek seeds and chana dal together for 5-6 hours.
    2. Grind the urad dal mixture with a little water to a light, fluffy batter. Grind the rice to a slightly coarse batter. Mix both with salt, cover and ferment for 8-12 hours until doubled.
    3. For the palya, heat oil, crackle mustard seeds, add urad dal, chana dal, asafoetida, curry leaves, chillies and ginger, and cook until the dals turn golden.
    4. Add onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add turmeric, salt and 1/4 cup water, then the potatoes. Mix well, cook for 2 minutes and add coriander.
    5. Heat a cast iron tawa on medium-high. Sprinkle water; it should sizzle and evaporate immediately. Wipe with an oiled cloth.
    6. Pour a ladle of batter into the centre and spread it quickly in a circular motion to form a thin dosa. Drizzle oil around the edges.
    7. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp. Place 2-3 tbsp of palya in the centre, fold the dosa over and serve immediately.

    Tips

    • Fermentation depends on temperature; in cold weather keep the batter in a warm place.
    • Spreading batter is easier on a well-seasoned cast iron tawa.
    • Adjust the batter's consistency with water; it should be pourable but not runny.

    Serve with

    Coconut chutney and hot sambar.

  • Handvo

    Handvo is a savoury cake from Gujarat made with a fermented batter of rice and mixed lentils, folded with grated bottle gourd and baked until the outside turns into a crunchy, sesame-studded crust. Traditionally it was cooked in a special handva cooker, an aluminium pot with a central chimney that sat over a sand base, but a heavy pan on the stove or an ordinary oven works well.

    The inside is soft, moist and slightly tangy from fermentation, flecked with vegetables, while the top and bottom are dark golden and crisp. A little sugar balances the sourness, and the tempering of mustard, sesame and curry leaves poured into the pan becomes part of the crust. Edges darken almost to brown, and that is how it should look.

    Handvo is eaten for breakfast, tea or a light dinner, cut into wedges and served with green chutney and tea. Leftovers are excellent the next day, toasted on a tawa, which makes it a sensible weekend dish to cook in a large quantity. Vegetables can be changed with the season: grated cabbage, corn or methi all work well alongside the lauki.

    At a glance

    RegionGujarat
    CuisineGujarati
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / toor dal / bottle gourd / sesame seeds

    Ingredients

    For the batter

    • 1 cup rice
    • 1/4 cup toor dal
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 2 tbsp urad dal
    • 2 tbsp moong dal
    • 1/2 cup sour curd
    • 1 cup grated bottle gourd (lauki), lightly squeezed
    • 1/4 cup grated carrot
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander
    • 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric
    • 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 1 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda or 1 tsp Eno

    For the tempering

    • 3 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
    • 1/2 tsp ajwain
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 1 dried red chilli

    Method

    1. Wash the rice and dals and soak for 5-6 hours. Drain and grind with the curd and minimal water to a coarse, thick batter. Cover and ferment overnight in a warm place.
    2. Mix the bottle gourd, carrot, coriander, ginger-chilli paste, turmeric, chilli powder, sugar and salt into the fermented batter. It should be thick and drop off the spoon in clumps.
    3. Just before cooking, sprinkle the soda over the batter, add 1 tbsp water on it and fold in well.
    4. Heat the oil in a heavy 8-9 inch non-stick or cast iron pan on medium. Add mustard seeds, and when they pop add sesame, ajwain, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilli. Let the sesame turn light gold, about 30 seconds.
    5. Pour the batter over the tempering and spread it evenly about 1 inch thick. Cover and cook on low heat for 15-18 minutes, until the top looks set and the bottom is deep golden and crisp.
    6. Slide the handvo onto a plate, flip it back into the pan and cook the other side, uncovered, on low for 10-12 minutes until crisp. A skewer should come out clean.
    7. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Oven method: pour batter into a greased tin, top with tempering and bake at 180 C for 40-45 minutes.

    Tips

    • Squeeze only some water out of the lauki; the rest keeps the inside moist.
    • The low flame is essential. On high the crust burns before the thick centre cooks.
    • Ready-made handvo flour from Gujarati stores can replace the soaked grains; mix with curd and ferment 6-8 hours.

    Serve with

    Green coriander chutney and a cup of masala chai.

  • Khatta Dhokla

    Khatta dhokla is the original dhokla of Gujarat, older and plainer than the yellow besan khaman that outsiders usually picture. It is made from rice and a little urad or chana dal, ground coarse with sour curd and left to ferment overnight. The name means sour dhokla, and that gentle tang from fermentation is the whole point.

    The texture is soft, slightly grainy and moist, closer to a thick idli than to a sponge cake. The pieces are pale white, dusted with crushed black pepper or red chilli on top before steaming, and finished with oil tempered with mustard and sesame seeds. There is no sugar syrup poured over, which keeps the flavour savoury and clean.

    Gujarati homes make it for breakfast, as a tea-time snack, or as part of a Sunday farsan spread. It is often eaten with a drizzle of raw groundnut oil and a spoon of garlic chutney, a combination common in Kathiawad. Leftover pieces are tossed in a pan with tadka the next day.

    At a glance

    RegionGujarat
    CuisineGujarati
    DietVegetarian
    CourseSnack
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / urad dal / curd / ginger

    Ingredients

    For the batter

    • 1 cup rice (regular or idli rice)
    • 1/4 cup urad dal
    • 2 tbsp chana dal
    • 1/2 cup sour curd
    • About 1/2 cup water
    • 1 tbsp ginger-green chilli paste
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 tbsp oil
    • 1/2 tsp Eno fruit salt or 1/4 tsp baking soda

    For topping and tadka

    • 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 2 tbsp oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1 tsp white sesame seeds
    • A pinch of asafoetida
    • 8-10 curry leaves
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander

    Method

    1. Wash the rice and dals together and soak in plenty of water for 5-6 hours.
    2. Drain and grind with the sour curd and just enough water to a slightly coarse, thick batter, like fine semolina. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and ferment in a warm place for 8-10 hours, until bubbly and pleasantly sour.
    3. Set up a steamer with 2 inches of water on high heat. Grease a 7-8 inch thali or cake tin with oil.
    4. Stir the ginger-chilli paste, salt and 1 tbsp oil into the batter. Just before steaming, add Eno with a splash of water on top of it and fold gently in one direction until the batter turns frothy.
    5. Pour into the greased thali to about 1/2 inch deep. Sprinkle crushed pepper over the surface.
    6. Steam on high for 12-15 minutes until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Rest for 5 minutes, then cut into squares or diamonds.
    7. Heat 2 tbsp oil, add mustard seeds and let them pop, then add sesame, asafoetida and curry leaves. Pour evenly over the dhokla and garnish with coriander.

    Tips

    • In winter, ferment in an oven with just the light on, or add the salt before fermenting to speed it up.
    • Do not add Eno until the steamer is boiling; it loses its lift within a couple of minutes.
    • The batter should be thicker than idli batter; thin batter gives flat, dense dhokla.

    Serve with

    Garlic-red chilli chutney or green chutney, with raw groundnut oil drizzled on top.

  • Naga Smoked Pork with Bamboo Shoot

    Smoked pork with bamboo shoot is the dish most associated with Nagaland. Naga households traditionally hang strips of pork over the kitchen hearth for days or weeks, where the smoke dries and preserves the meat. Fermented bamboo shoot, prepared at home in every village, is the other pillar of the cuisine.

    The cooking is simple and the flavours bold. Pork is boiled with ginger, garlic and raja mircha, the king chilli, and the sour, pungent bamboo shoot is added to cut through the fat. There are no masala powders, and often no oil, since the pork releases its own. The result is smoky, sour and very hot, with tender meat and a little thick gravy.

    At a glance

    RegionNagaland
    CuisineNaga
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time70 minutes
    Total time90 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientssmoked pork / fermented bamboo shoot / king chilli / ginger

    Ingredients

    • 750 g smoked pork with fat, cut into 4 cm pieces
    • 1 cup fermented bamboo shoot, shredded
    • 2 tbsp ginger, crushed
    • 8 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1 raja mircha (king chilli), slit, or 4-5 dried red chillies
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
    • 2 tbsp axone (fermented soybean) paste (optional)
    • 3 cups water
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 spring onions, chopped

    Method

    1. Wash the smoked pork in warm water to remove soot and excess salt.
    2. Put the pork in a heavy pot with ginger, garlic, the king chilli and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 40 minutes (or pressure cook for 4 whistles) until the pork is almost tender.
    3. Add the fermented bamboo shoot, green chillies, tomatoes and axone if using. Add salt carefully – smoked pork can already be salty.
    4. Simmer uncovered on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pork is very tender and the fat has rendered into the gravy.
    5. Keep cooking until most of the water evaporates and the gravy is thick and glossy, clinging to the meat.
    6. Taste, adjust salt, scatter spring onion and serve hot.

    Tips

    • Raja mircha is among the hottest chillies in the world – use half of one first and remove it once the dish is hot enough.
    • Without smoked pork, use pork belly and add a little smoked paprika, though it will not be the same.
    • Fermented bamboo shoot is sour and strong; rinse it once if you want a milder flavour.

    Serve with

    Sticky or plain steamed rice and boiled greens.