Share
South Indian cuisine is a complex gamut of food, flavours and cooking techniques, most of which has been influenced by local and foreign palates. Therefore, if you say the cuisine thrives on a range of idlis, it would still not be an accurate take, simply because you’d never be fully prepared to answer the follow-up question- ‘which kind of idlis?’ That’s right. There are so many kinds of idlis and each so distinct from one another, in terms of shape, size, preparation, ingredients used. You may need to reserve a few days (or years) to try all of them, but we are game. From muligapodi idli to thatte idli, there is a world of idlis waiting to be explored. Here, we give out the recipe of another classic idli preparation, the Kanchipuram Idlis.
Kanchipuram idlis are a feast for those who never mind that extra dash of spices. It is usually flavoured with pepper, ginger powder and cumin. It is traditionally steamed in a bamboo basket, which is lined with bauhinia leaves also known as kachnar in Hindi and mountain ebony in English. These leaves impart a hot and bold flavour to the idlis. It is said that these idlis were served as naivedeyam or bhog to the idol of Lord Vishnu in the temple of Varadharaja Perumal, Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu, from where they got their name.
Now, of course, you can use a variety of modern kitchen equipment to make these idlis. These idlis are also renowned for their distinct shape of a thick disc. Many experimental cooks make these idlis in tumblers on a pan and slice them later (just like dhoklas) to get that lovely shape.
It is up to you weather you want to go with the batter that is soaked overnight or an instant one, but do make sure that the proportion of urad dal used here is slightly more.
Here’s a delicious and super easy recipe of Kanchipuram Idlis you can try today.
