Wednesday, February 22, 2006
How to eat Idli
I was just observing the previous day in our mess, the way people from different parts of our country eating idlis. The inference can be generalized as follows:
1. The South Indian way: Squeeze the idli using the full hand, so that it mixes well with the sambhar/chutney and a thick paste is formed. What you get is the delicious idly- sambhar! Eat as much as you can, stop when you feel u cannot swallow anymore.
2. The North Indian Way: Hold the idli with your right hand, and break a piece out from it using left hand, dip it in the catouri of sambhar and eat it. After eating each piece, lick your fingers so that even the traces of idli is removed.
3. A Hybrid Way (These are followed by a third group, that cannot be regionalized.): After cutting the idli using both hands like the North Indian way/ using one hand, dip it in the sambhar using a spoon/ hand and eat it.
4. The modern way (?): Who cares about the taste, it is the table manners that matter! so eat it with spoon even if the idli is not soaked well in sambhar and the blandness remains.
The efficiency of these four methods are highly subjective and varies from the tastes of a person. If you ask my choice, I will go with the first one :)
1. The South Indian way: Squeeze the idli using the full hand, so that it mixes well with the sambhar/chutney and a thick paste is formed. What you get is the delicious idly- sambhar! Eat as much as you can, stop when you feel u cannot swallow anymore.
2. The North Indian Way: Hold the idli with your right hand, and break a piece out from it using left hand, dip it in the catouri of sambhar and eat it. After eating each piece, lick your fingers so that even the traces of idli is removed.
3. A Hybrid Way (These are followed by a third group, that cannot be regionalized.): After cutting the idli using both hands like the North Indian way/ using one hand, dip it in the sambhar using a spoon/ hand and eat it.
4. The modern way (?): Who cares about the taste, it is the table manners that matter! so eat it with spoon even if the idli is not soaked well in sambhar and the blandness remains.
The efficiency of these four methods are highly subjective and varies from the tastes of a person. If you ask my choice, I will go with the first one :)
A small Addendum: In one of the hostels, they recovered the dead body of a frog, who was missing for a week from its house in the mess kitchen, from the biriyani they served.
Ha.. I said to my friend." Wow that is great. You know frog is considered to be a very tasty cuisine, and you know what?U wont get bird flu, and u are getting meat without paying anything extra for it! "
He has vowed to kill me the next time I happen to be anywhere near his sight. Hmmm...
The best part of the frog storty is, the mess manager offered bribe of a free icecream for not leaking the story. Well... we are in college saar...
Ha.. I said to my friend." Wow that is great. You know frog is considered to be a very tasty cuisine, and you know what?U wont get bird flu, and u are getting meat without paying anything extra for it! "
He has vowed to kill me the next time I happen to be anywhere near his sight. Hmmm...
The best part of the frog storty is, the mess manager offered bribe of a free icecream for not leaking the story. Well... we are in college saar...
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Shady Guy .The first method is not a south indian thing It is a purely Mallu Practice.You are eating Idli-Sambhar/Chutney not Rice-Sambhar/chutney.
lol. i will stick to the first way. but get me some idli first!!
# posted by 
: 2/22/2006 09:09:00 AM
: 2/22/2006 09:09:00 AM
@ vinay: I have seen even Tams doing that, and hence, i can generalize. and a lot of southies fall in option 3 as well ;)
@ rocksea: u r gonna love our mess idly ;)
@ rocksea: u r gonna love our mess idly ;)
macha see da, eating idli is by itself an art ok. I know of a hotel were anybody who is everybody comes to just eat idli sambar. People carry bowls from home. Buy 2 idlis and fill the bowl with sambar. Size of the bowl, well have u seen the vaatever in which rice is served in mess, may be slaish smaller than that. The sambar has to be refreshed at least twice for the two idlis to be had fully. Sometimes, to quench the thirst of sambar two more idlis are had. And yeah there are many more ways of eating idli sambar da.
Ravan, idli is ate that way by junta ok.
I personally prefer idli with molagapodi also called chutneypodi in some parts of india. I dont know what mallus call it. It is a coarse powder made from red chillies and dal and jaggery
Ravan, idli is ate that way by junta ok.
I personally prefer idli with molagapodi also called chutneypodi in some parts of india. I dont know what mallus call it. It is a coarse powder made from red chillies and dal and jaggery
@bhaand: Yeah very true. There is a murugan's idly shop now in besant nagar and t nagar and its pretty good. Also there is one Mr and Mrs Idly Sambhar, which is apparently popular in the chennai bangalore highway :)
and in mallu also it is called podi, and I love that man! seriously.. I thulp dosa and podi on thursday evenings in our mess.
and in mallu also it is called podi, and I love that man! seriously.. I thulp dosa and podi on thursday evenings in our mess.
i find murugan idli vaatever quite shady da. There are of course better places in the city.
podi rocks, be it with idli or dosai or adai or anything, even with upma or curd rice.
podi rocks, be it with idli or dosai or adai or anything, even with upma or curd rice.
I despise those who forget their "aukaad" as i call it.. when they square those fingers to hold a spoon while eating! huh!
i can add 2 more ways:
1.the toddler-baby way - eat the entire idli in bits and pieces just like a baby would without using the chutney or sambar. If the idli tastes bland, then get a taste of the chutney or sambar, without dropping the idli.
2. the south indian fast food restaurant way - Like all south indians use of spoon and fork is prevented; idli is eaten after dipping it in sambar or chutney and eaten in pieces.
Another variation to this is the swimming idli with a western touch. the whole idli is soaked in sambar (minus the chutney) and then eaten along with spoon and fork..
1.the toddler-baby way - eat the entire idli in bits and pieces just like a baby would without using the chutney or sambar. If the idli tastes bland, then get a taste of the chutney or sambar, without dropping the idli.
2. the south indian fast food restaurant way - Like all south indians use of spoon and fork is prevented; idli is eaten after dipping it in sambar or chutney and eaten in pieces.
Another variation to this is the swimming idli with a western touch. the whole idli is soaked in sambar (minus the chutney) and then eaten along with spoon and fork..
# posted by : 2/27/2006 02:47:00 AM
: 2/27/2006 02:47:00 AM
@bhaand: I like Murugan daa..
@clash: Yeah.. reminds me of an old malayalam movie named poochakkoru mookuthi, the character of sukumari is something similar ;)
@rk: thanks for the additional ways..u knw what, I have made it a point to watch people eat idly these days when i go out and have food.. I knw its an irritating thing to do, but stil ;)
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@clash: Yeah.. reminds me of an old malayalam movie named poochakkoru mookuthi, the character of sukumari is something similar ;)
@rk: thanks for the additional ways..u knw what, I have made it a point to watch people eat idly these days when i go out and have food.. I knw its an irritating thing to do, but stil ;)
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