For years together i never understood why amma was so irritated when malligai idlies she made was called Kushboo idlies. Have you had the same kind of parents who had varied sense of humour that nothing made sense to you?
Anyway,the reason I brought this up was because malligai idlies were called kushboo idlies for a long time.
What is malligai idli?
The super soft fluffy rice cakes that became popular after the cine actress, Kushboo is called malliai idli or kushboo idli. What started out to be malligai idli got its name after the actress due to its soft, voluptuous looks. The original name malligai comes from jasmine flowers (malligai) as the idlies used to be super soft, melt in the mouth and a bit more bright white. It has nothing to do with the fragrance and no jasmine flowers are used to make it .
How is malliagai idli different from regular idli?
Regular idli batter uses parboiled rice and blackgram dal. The malliagai idli on the other had is a bit different in composition. It uses a mix of parboiled rice and sona masoori rice (raw rice). Along with black gram dal, sago pearls (tapioca pearls) are used to make the idli soft. Both these batters are smooth ground and fermented overnight.PErsonally I feel the mlligai idlies are spongy when compared to the regular idlies.
Here is the recipe to make regular idlis –Steamed fermented rice cakes – Idly
How long does the batter for malligai idly stay?
Malligai idli batter stays good for a week in the fridge after fermentation. It tends to slightly become thicker so ensure you add a few tablespoons of water and mix well before you use it after a couple of day in the fridge.
Can I make dosas with this malligai idli batter?
The idli batter is perfect for making dosas. Malliagi idlies make soft dosas well, not the crispy one. Ensure your pan is well seasoned.
Malligai idly
Ingredients
- 1 cup Urad Dal (black gram dal)
- 3/4 cup tapioca pearls (sago)
- 3 cups parboiled rice
- 3/4 tbsp salt
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice, urad dal and tapioca pearls, separately for about 2 hours.
- Grind the Urad dal to super soft batter in a wet grinder.
- Grind the sago and rice together to a smooth paste.
- Add salt and mix the batters together. and set in a warm area o the kitchen for fermentation.
- In warm weathers it takes about 6 hours for the fermentation and it may extend up to 10 hours in winter
- Once the batter is risen well, mix it well once again and store in the refrigerator.
- When ready to use greade the idly mould or ramikens.
- ladle the batter half way up the ramikens or the moulds.
- place in a steamer with water filled to the right levels and steam for 20 minutes.
- If a skewers come out clean the idly is cooked.
- Wait for another 5 minutes and unmould.
- Serve hot with the sides.
What pairs well with kushboo idli?
As usual the classic combinations of sambhar and chutney cannot be missed for the kushboo idli.
Pressure cooker sambhar
Pudina coconut chutney .
You can have the idlies with chutney podi too.
Dhania podi
Ellu chutney podi
Left over idlies can be changed to idli upma in one of the three ways we have tried.
Collaboration
This recipe has been on my blog from March 2019 and badly needed moe informtion to help you make it along with better images. In collaboration with Shh cooking secretly group and Blogger Sasmita( who introduces you to Odia styles steamed rice cakes), the makeover of this recipe looks ok. What do you think?
Do you want to try some more idli recipes?
We have a few different idli recipes on this blog.
Pacharisi idli | raw rice idlies
Bamboo rice idli – moongil arisi idly
Stay connected.
Amma being a classic 70’s mum, never liked Kushboo as an actress, hence refused to let her idlies be renamed. these little nuances make this malligai idli recipe even more dearer to me. Hope you could try this out and let us know how this recipe fared for you. Use the discussion below to ask your questions or share your feedbacks.
See you in the next post
I enjoyed reading about your parents, makes me remember my family discussions and how it used to be right…I can even imagine the naughty look your father must have when he said “bhesh bhesh”,,hahhaa..I love this Idli and yes even my Dad loves this Idli version for the whiteness and softness..
🤣 I think we are in your parents stage now! Love the kushboo idli thanks to you now I know it is also maligae idli. Not made them for ages. Will do.
I think all our parents have this banter about food everyday. And I feel hubby and I are entering that phase:) Imagine an idli named after a famous actress. Adding tapioca pearls must be adding to the softness and how white the idlis appear. A must try recipe.
those memories are very precious indeed, Seema. Dad’s face ( God bless his soul) used to light up with sepankizhangu fry and chakkara pongal (of course not together). When I see my hubby’s smile for exactly the same reasons, I know that God has been kind !
and yes, the take on malligaipoo idly to become khushboo idli is hilarious (i have another anecdote, I will share offline with u)
Have heard so much about khusbhoo idli when khushboo was in the peak of her career. This idli took everyone by storm . I have never added sago to my idli batter, but I will definitely try this recipe of yours as hubby keeps telling me khushboo idli maadhiri edhuvum varadhu 😛😛
Yes, i too have made this super soft spongy mallige idli. I really wonder how i will survive without Idly-dosa batter in the fridge, thank god for all the varieties!!!