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The phrase 'fermented food' might be trending around the globe, but in India, people have been devouring one of the healthiest fermented foods since time immemorial. Any guesses? It's Idli. Today, it is one of the most popular grubs with global patronage. Its popularity is so immense that 30 March marks World Idli Day every year. This celebration started in 2015. As you are reading this article, you might be relishing soft idli as your breakfast staple or planning to have it as your light dinner. Idlis might be famous as breakfast staples, but they are versatile and fit into any meal of the day. But how much do you know about idli? On World Idli Day, let's dig into more facts and information about this fluffy delicacy.
And before we proceed, we are clearing that the claim that idli is declared as the world's healthiest breakfast by UNESCO, which was making rounds, isn't valid. Nevertheless, idli is one of the most nutritious food and there several reasons to feast on them on World Idli Day.
Who invented idli?
One of the most hotly contested debates is who exactly invented idli. Food historian K T Achaya speculates that the idli travelled from present-day Indonesia to India somewhere between 800 and 1200 CE, despite claims to the contrary from both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Indian idli is the predecessor of Indonesian kedli, as Acharaya claims. It means idli may not have originated in India after all!
Subsequently, researchers and historians of food have varied theories on where idli first appeared. Lizzie Collingham attributes the origins of idli to the Arab traders who eventually settled along the South Indian coast. She claims that since these Arab settlers couldn't be confident about getting halal food, they ended up eating steamed rice balls with coconut chutney. Integrating rice with urad appears to have occurred considerably later. Perhaps it didn't originate elsewhere but developed in one of the southern states.
Idli with chutney, Image Source: Dinali 🇱🇰@Pinterest
Idli in ancient scriptures
'Idli' stems from the term "iddalige,' says KT Achaya, a culinary historian and scientist. Vaddaradhane, a work of Kannada literature by Sivakotyacharya, first brought attention to it in 920 A.D. Manasollasa, a Sanskrit encyclopaedia, has an allusion to idli as 'iddarika' around 1130 AD. The recipe calls for fine urad flour, which is fashioned into little balls before being seasoned with pepper powder, cumin powder, and asafoetida.
Idlis were made in leaves
It can be prepared quickly by steaming, making it a popular breakfast option. No oil is required. Furthermore, idlis are pretty simple to digest. They are commonly eaten even in the evening in South India, either as supper or tiffin. Almost every Indian household now has an idli maker or idli mould.
Idli steaming in leaves, Image Source: LoveBank@YouTube
Idlis are traditionally made with moulds, but did you know that leaves were used instead in the past? In a few locations across the country, idlis are still traditionally made using leaves as a mould.
How World Idli Day was born?
The formation of World Idli Day is a fascinating tale in itself. The 30th of March was designated as World Idli Day in 2015. It was the inspiration for Eniyavan, the owner of a popular restaurant in Chennai, India, that only serves idlis. In honour of the event, he prepared a whopping 1,328 unique idli recipes. Not only this, but Eniyavan has also cooked gigantic idli weighing as heavy as 44 kg. It was sliced by a government official. That is how this day was born.
As you relish a supple and piping hot idli today, i.e., World Idli Day, don't forget the legacy it carries for thousands of years. It has travelled far and wide and comes in every size, shape, colour and with equally interesting parings of sambar and chutneys. May idli shine bright forever!
