Mahanandi

Living in Consciousness ~ Indi(r)a’s Food and Garden Weblog

Rosematta Idly

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Rice and Idly Batter

Imagine munching on the fluffy clouds. That was my experience of Rosematta idlies.

Rosematta rice, the ancient terracotta colored rice from Kerala region of India and the nutritional urad dal are soaked and ground together. After overnight fermentation, the batter is steam-cooked in a special saucer like molds. The result is pinkish-white idlies that are lightweight, delicate and fluffy. They are worth preparing just to take in the breathtaking pale pink color alone. Of course, it also helps that they taste wonderfully good the way idlies should taste.

Rosematta idlies are truly for nostalgic dreamers only, the ones who find munching on the clouds a familiar thing to do.

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Rice and Urad Dal ~ After Six hours of Water Soaking

Recipe:
(for 12 to 16 idlies)

2 cups Rosematta rice
1 cup urad dal
Idly molds for steam-cooking

Soak rice and urad dal in about 6 cups of water for about 6 hours. Drain the water and grind to silky smooth consistency using a stone grinder or blender. Remove and keep the batter covered in a warm place, overnight or for about 8 hours. Fermentation happens naturally, and yeast/baking soda etc are not used in this traditional method. The batter doubles in size and small bubbles appear in the batter. That means time to cook idlies.

Add one teaspoon of salt to the batter and mix thoroughly. Pour the batter into idly mold impressions and steam-cook, following the method described in detail here. When the batter turns from runny to firm, remove the mold and using a spoon carefully separate idlies from the impressions.

Serve hot. Coconut or peanut chutney and shallot sambar is the usual accompaniments to idlies.

This Image is Copyrighted and Property of www.nandyala.org/mahanandi. Do Not Steal
Rosematta Idly with Coconut Chutney ~ Our Weekend Brunch

Notes:
Rosematta rice, also known as Kerala Red Rice is avialable in Indian grocery shops here in US.
Recipe Idea : From My Brain

Posted by Indira©Copyrighted in Biyyamu (Rice),Rosematta Rice (Monday May 21, 2007 at 3:33 pm- permalink)
Comments (28)

The New Home of Mahanandi: www.themahanandi.org

28 comments for Rosematta Idly »

  1. Nice one Indira. Until I got married to an Andhra household, did not know rawa could be used for making idlis. It has always been the tedious process of soaking the idli rice and grinding. But the result as you said is very earthy !!!

    Comment by Revathi — May 21, 2007 @ 3:36 pm

  2. Looks like a delicious one. I am craving for Idlis now when I already had my dinner .

    Comment by Lata — May 21, 2007 @ 4:16 pm

  3. even today, in many kerala households, idlis are only made with rosematta rice. that’s how we prepare them too. the flavour is unique, and so is the texture.

    Comment by bee — May 21, 2007 @ 4:20 pm

  4. Looks delicious Indira, I havent tried this one, I saw bee’s post too. I have to try this one out! Thanks for the recipe

    Comment by Deepika Saripalli — May 21, 2007 @ 4:37 pm

  5. wonderfull! Great actually i mix and do may be ishould try the pure version as yours

    Comment by Roopa — May 21, 2007 @ 10:41 pm

  6. wow this looks so yummy, i just use rosematta rice for puttu, will try idli with this… thanks

    Comment by Rachna — May 22, 2007 @ 12:15 am

  7. Hi Indira,idlis are really such comfort foods.Rosematta rice is an expensive rice, so the comman man in kerala actually cannot afford them,only those who have their own paddy field use it,otherwise a brand called IR8 type of raw rice which is both economical and the best is what is used by most of them, rich or poor.

    Comment by sumitha — May 22, 2007 @ 12:47 am

  8. I forgot to mention that,Ponni rice which is expensive is the next kind of rice which is used,mostly used by only the rich and only after this is the rosematta rice used.Rosematta rice is generally used only for offering as prasadam mostly in the form of pongala or payasam to God.

    Just wanted to share what I know to you Indira.Take Care:)

    Comment by sumitha — May 22, 2007 @ 12:55 am

  9. Hi Indira:

    These look delectable. My mom has been telling me about a similar recipe but for ragi idlis. You need whole ragi grains for that which ,even in my cosmopolitan toronto, I have been unable to find. Perhaps you might have better luck in Seattle..

    Comment by Janani — May 22, 2007 @ 7:26 am

  10. I had been thinking about trying the Rosematta Rice Idlis for a while now, and here you are with delicious results.

    🙂

    Comment by Trupti — May 22, 2007 @ 8:01 am

  11. hi indira,
    idli looks yummy. Normally i use idli rice, will try next time with rosematta rice.

    Comment by prajusha — May 22, 2007 @ 8:14 am

  12. Hi Indira,

    I have been lurking around your website for a year or so and I have enjoyed so many recepies. You are a wonderful cook, I don’t know south side cooking but I have learned so much from your website, I have spent most of my life here so your website has taught me a lot along with my mother and MIL. Thanks for the wonderful pictures and recepies you post.

    Can I use Basmati rice to make idlis?? Sorry, you might find this question stupid but I only know North indian cooking:> JS

    Comment by Jasvin — May 22, 2007 @ 9:38 am

  13. Indira,

    Rosematta idli was on my list for weekend ventures. I have made kozhakattai and Dosa with this rice and trust me it was out of the world. For dosa you still need the raw rice for crispiness but I replaced boiled (idli rice) rice with Rosematta . You are very right about the pinkish colour. I loved it too !

    Comment by Soumya — May 22, 2007 @ 11:23 am

  14. Revathi: I don’t know why but for us it’s always been rice ravva for idlies and rice for dosas. Rava and rice, that’s what separates idly and dosa preparation for us. This is the first time I had made idly using rice grains. They came out real good. I like this method.:)

    Thanks Lata.

    Bee: Thank God for food bloggers like you, Inji, Sumitha and others. Now the secret is out of Kerala. I love Rosematta idlies!

    Give it a try Deepika. They are really like fluffy pink clouds.

    Roopa and Rachna: Thanks.

    Sumitha: Thanks very much for sharing this with me. I am always curious about the prices and affordability etc. And I didn’t know this about Rosematta rice. I thought they are priced similar to regular rice.
    Just like basmati, I’d have never afforded Rosematta if I lived in India and this makes me extremely sad. It is a fine quality rice with rich taste. What a loss.

    Janani: Ragi Idlies? That’s interesting. You mean, whole ragi is soaked and ground with urad dal and then steam-cooked? or just plain ragi grains with some seasoning?
    I’m also looking for ragi grains but no luck so far.

    Mind reading.:)
    Did you receive the “Pedatha”, Trupti?

    If you try, let me know how you like them. Thanks Prajusha.

    Hi Jasvin, thanks for your kind words about Mahanandi. I greatly appreciate it.
    About rice, usually idly ravva or parboiled rice/ponni rice are used to prepare soft, fluffy idlies.
    Basmati, I never tried before so no idea. Sorry.

    Hi Soumya: I tried dosa with some leftover batter on Sunday. But like you mentioned, it needed some raw rice addition for crispiness. They didn’t come out good.
    I have to try this kozhakattai:).
    Hope you are doing great!

    Comment by Indira — May 22, 2007 @ 7:12 pm

  15. whole ragi is soaked and ground with urad dal and then steam-cooked

    Comment by Janani — May 23, 2007 @ 8:22 am

  16. hi,,dear ur web site is great,,keep up thegood work,,,u have great wonderful moth watering recipes,,,take care,,thank you,,,bye have agreat long week end ,,,bye for2day

    Comment by p.sala — May 23, 2007 @ 2:48 pm

  17. I found an interesting food here in Singapore a few days ago called putu piring. It is a Malay steamed dish that looks exactly like idli, but uses only rice flour. Seeing this made me wonder about the development of dishes and whether Indians shared with Malays or if each culture came up with their own dish.

    Anyway… this “idli” had an interesting twist. Half of the idli dough is put onto a small banana leaf strip in an individual mould. Then, gula melaka (gur/gud/palm sugar) is placed on top. Next, the final layer of “idli” dough is put. It is steamed, then served on a banana leaf with lots of freshly grated coconut. Do a search and you’ll find this interesting dish- a combination of bland/salty steamed rice, not so sweet gud with slightly salted fresh coconut. lovely fresh from the steamer!

    Comment by Raihanah — May 23, 2007 @ 4:16 pm

  18. Indira, the Idli looks cute 🙂 Is this more nutty in taste compared to the idlis we get in Andhra? I used rosematta rice before and I felt they have more flavor than our white rice.

    Comment by Vani — May 24, 2007 @ 3:17 am

  19. Dear Indira,

    As a silent member, I have learnt SO MUCH from you! I am a fellow Rayalaseemite and I tried your Ragi sangati and loved it! Instead of ghee I doused it with Extra Virgin Olive oil, it was heavenly!

    My question for you is can one make idlis with Rosematta rice and whole urad dal (not husked kind)? Please oh please say it is possible!

    I am always on the look out for healthy, low fat, vegetarian food for my children. This combination (black urad dal+ Rosematta rice) will be too good to be true only if proven so without compromising taste and texture!

    I am not gutsy enough like you to try it out, because if it fails my family will be turned off by idlis for life! But I should confess that I sneaked in ground up quinoa seeds in my dosa batter recently with great success- nobody noticed and infact loved the resulting Dosas. I present it before you now to tweak it in the ingenious way of yours (that has endeared you to us all) and come up with delicious Quinoa dosas!

    Thank you for your invaluable website!

    Regards,
    Usha

    Indira replies,
    Hi Usha, it’s always nice to hear from a fellow Rayalaseema vaasi. I greatly enjoyed reading your comment. Thanks for that.
    About using whole urad dal, – idea sounds interesting. I guess the resulting idlies will be in pink with black dots. Color is ok but I am little bit afraid to imagine the taste. 🙂 You have to try first my friend.:)
    I love your quinoa dosa idea very much. May be we can try it like utappam style? I will blog that definitely. Thanks very much Usha.

    Comment by Usha — May 24, 2007 @ 10:34 am

  20. Hi Indira,

    Iam doing good. Thank you for asking. Will share the kozhakattai recipe soon. Iam sure you will like it. 🙂

    If I may add few cents to Usha’s comment :

    Usha ,

    I share your “look out for healthy alternatives” , I have tried dosas with whole urad and rosematta and I assure you they are great. As for idlis , not yet. Iam skeptical as well , since idlis did not come out well with whole urad and white rice. But since I have some whole urad left , I will try in small quantities ( for one last time )and let you know soon. 🙂

    And Thanks for the Quinoa idea , I have a packet and had some inertia to try something with it. 🙂 Will try this Quinoa Dosa sometime soon.

    Cheers to all bloggers and contributers !

    Regards….Soumya

    Comment by Soumya — May 25, 2007 @ 1:14 pm

  21. I tried this recipe last week. The rice I had was almost like brown rice. It came out slightly darker than the picture but soft and delicious. A healthier way to eat idli!

    What kind of rice did you use Mika? Was it rosematta or brown rice?
    – Indira

    Comment by mika — May 25, 2007 @ 6:41 pm

  22. Hi,

    Just wanted to share my experience with whole urad dhal idlis. Basically, if all of the dhal is whole urad dhal, you have a disaster on hands. I only make 1/4 th of the total dhal content whole. That way, the idlis remain soft and not a major variation from the usual. They will have blackish spots on them though.

    Regards,
    Bharathi

    Comment by Bharathi — May 29, 2007 @ 9:39 pm

  23. Indira and friends,

    What lovely people you all are! So eager to try new healthy recipes and more eager to proclaim their results for every one to try (or not- may be if Soumya will let us know what happened with her whole urad dal idlis?!). I think I am going to go all out and try whole urad dal + rosematta dosas(a la Soumya!)and then sneak in some quinoa too! Will definitely post the results in this wonderful forum! I might also try Bharathi’s recipe of quarter cup of whole urad dal for my idlis (rest being the same). We should come up with a good name for these concoctions of ours!

    Echoing Soumya’s sentiments “Cheers to all bloggers and contributers!” I add HIP HIP HOORAY to all!

    Best wishes,
    Usha

    Comment by Usha — May 30, 2007 @ 7:12 am

  24. iam beginner in cooking….iam slient reader of ur site ….iam very happy vth ur all recipes as learnt many in cooking 🙂

    but coming to this rosematta idly its totally disaster for me plss help me i too wanna go healthy

    iam using preeti mixie…and i used ur propotions only…pls help vt ur suggestions

    Comment by aditi — April 21, 2009 @ 8:57 am

  25. I got my hands on some good red rice(not rosematta rice or what its popularly known as “boiled rice”)
    I was wondering if I could us this rice
    Here is a link to the image http://www.auroville.com/images/auroannam_organic_brown_rice_large.jpg
    Its called brown rice but unlike other varieties I have seen of brown rice this one has the entire bran intact.
    It just tastes amazing I just feel so good after eating it.
    I just wanted to know if I could make idlis of it(since I am on a weight loss plan I thought fermentation process of idlis would reduce the start content and thus make it more healthy and lighter)
    Thanks

    Comment by rawraj — December 2, 2009 @ 3:43 pm

  26. I use three cups Idli Rice (available in Indian Stores here in Fremont,California) and three cups
    whole Urad Dal Organic variety(outer skin removed)for preparation of Idlis.I get soft Idlis.
    I use Wet Grinder for Urad Dal.I use blender for rice initially but use wet grinder for blending with Urad Dal after grinding.
    This time I used Kerala Matta Rice 3 cups and one cup urad dal. After fermentation I prepared idlis.
    They were soft but flat.I was disapponted.I used the same batter for preparation of Dosa.Dosa is not properly cooked and I was unable to turn it to the other side.I do not know what to do with the Batter.I am just like Aditi who made a similar comment on April 21, 2009@ 8.57 am.
    Kindly advice me.
    B.Krishnamurthy(Age 82+)

    Comment by B.Krishnamurthy — December 18, 2015 @ 9:54 pm

  27. I use three cups Idli Rice (available in Indian Stores here in Fremont,California) and three cups
    whole Urad Dal Organic variety(outer skin removed)for preparation of Idlis.I get soft Idlis.
    I use Wet Grinder for Urad Dal.I use blender for rice initially but use wet grinder for blending with Urad Dal after grinding.
    This time I used Kerala Matta Rice 3 cups and one cup urad dal. After fermentation I prepared idlis.
    They were soft but flat.I was disappointed.I used the same batter for preparation of Dosa.Dosa is not properly cooked and I was unable to turn it to the other side.I do not know what to do with the Batter.I am just like Aditi who made a similar comment on April 21, 2009@ 8.57 am.
    Kindly advice me.
    B.Krishnamurthy(Age 82+)

    Comment by B.Krishnamurthy — December 18, 2015 @ 9:56 pm

  28. I use three cups Idli Rice (available in Indian Stores here in Fremont,California) and three cups
    whole Urad Dal Organic variety(outer skin removed)for preparation of Idlis.I get soft Idlis.
    I use Wet Grinder for Urad Dal.I use blender for rice initially but use wet grinder for blending with Urad Dal after grinding.
    This time I used Kerala Matta Rice 3 cups and one cup urad dal. After fermentation I prepared idlis.
    They were soft but flat.I was disappointed.I used the same batter for preparation of Dosa which was not properly cooked and I was unable to turn it to the other side.I do not know what to do with the Batter.I am just like Aditi who made a similar comment on April 21, 2009@ 8.57 am.
    Kindly advice me.
    B.Krishnamurthy(Age 82+)

    Comment by B.Krishnamurthy — December 18, 2015 @ 10:03 pm

Your Comment

(required)

(required but not published)

RSS feed for comments on this post.

It sounds like SK2 has recently been updated on this blog. But not fully configured. You MUST visit Spam Karma's admin page at least once before letting it filter your comments (chaos may ensue otherwise).