Steamed Rice Cake, also known as Idly, is endorsed by many as the healthiest food to eat for breakfast. With virtually no oil or any other fat content, it’s certainly a health-conscious treat.

The only limitation for plain white without doing anything is that it has a high GI and is digested very quickly, which raises blood sugar levels. The smart choice would be to include it at dinner when the metabolic rate is the lowest. Or add whole grains in the preparation of idlies like Cracked Wheat (Bulgar), Ragi and the like, to lower its GI and make it a healthy breakfast option.

Ingredients for Normal White Idly;

• 3 cups of uncooked rice or (2 cups of boiled rice and 1 cup of uncooked rice)
• 1 cup husked black gram (urad dal)
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (optional)
• water as needed

Method: I typically mix brown rice into all of my rice preparation, which adds the fiber content and other benefits of the whole grain. Wash rice and urad dal and soak for 3 hours with fenugreek seeds (methi). Grind the urad dal and methi seeds for about 40 minutes in the grinder or about 30 minutes in a mixie adding water as needed. Don’t make the dough too runny. Grind until the urad dal is light and foamy. Remove from the grinder or mixie and then grind the soaked rice for 5-10 minutes until it has a raw consistency.

Mix both mashed ingredients together in a large bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, cover and set aside in a warmer place to ferment for almost 15-20 hours.

Note: The smoothness of idly comes by the grinding method, ie. stone grinding Vs mixie. Tea light and fluffy texture of urad dal, which is responsible for the idle softnessIt comes in the grinder easily. In South India, people use large millstones with heavy stones inside, which makes the work easier and more perfect. A regular mixie can also be used to grind the above ingredients, but the result may not match the performance of a grinder.

bulgarian with crossed arms

The following recipe is for adding whole grains to Idly dough to make it healthier with a low GI.

Ingredients for Bulgarian Idly;

(For 4 idlies)

• 1 cup idle sourdough
• 1 tablespoon Bulgar (dahlia/cracked wheat)
• 1 teaspoon curd
• salt to taste

method: Soak 1 tablespoon of bulgar in the curd for 10 minutes.

Mix with the rest of the ingredients, take an idle mold, lightly grease it with oil. Pour a ladle of the above mixture into the moulds. Put a cup of water in the pressure cooker and keep it on the stove, let the water come to a boil. Place the Idly pan in the pressure cooker and steam on high heat for 10 to 12 minutes. Blow out the flame and check the idlies, they should be firm to the touch. Take out the mold and let cool before removing the Idlies.

Serve hot with coriander chutney or any other accompaniment of your choice.

Note: Bulgarian idlies take a little longer to cook than regular white idlies, which can be cooked in 7-8 minutes.

kids lunch box: Get small Idly molds and make small sized idlies. Add grated carrots or any vegetables of your choice to make it more nutritious and kid-friendly. Pack them with tomato sauce or chutney.

Combine your nutritional knowledge with culinary skills and earn a healthy life. A little improvisation of traditional dishes can make them more nutritious and keep the flavors of our tradition alive as well.

What other healthy variations do you use at your breakfast table? Share with us.

Eat right and stay healthy!