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Since the day I started blogging I've been learning a lot of new things from my fellow bloggers right from recipes,their display and the various events taking place just to name a few.Recently Ratna's Made for Each Other impressed me a lot and decided to send this entry,a very simple yet liked by everyone.Though all of us are aware of making the batter I would like to share few tips I know for softer idlis along with the recipe.Idli is a staple food in Tamilnadu and can be had any time of the day and also liked by young and old.

IDLI
Ingredients
Idli rice-4 cups
Urad dal full-1 cup

Method
Soak rice and dal seperately for minimum 6 hours
Wet grind seperately and mix well with required salt and allow to ferment
Pour the batter in the idli pan and steam till cooked

Tips
Soak the urad dal only for 15 minutes.We usually soak when we soak the rice
Add a teaspoon of methi seeds with the rice
Refrigerate the soaked and washed rice and dal for sometime
Add chilled water while grinding

Each household in Tamilnadu has its own recipe of the famous idli podi/Gun powder.It varies from using round or long red chillies,Split urad dal with skin or without skin to name a few and the proportion also varies.This is my MIL's recipe which Iam sharing with.

IDLI PODI
Ingredients
Long red chilly-250 gms
Channa dal-2 cups
Split/full urad dal-1 cup (skinned/deskinned)
Curry leaves-handful
Asafoetida-1 tsp
Oil- as required
Salt- as required

Method
Roast each ingredient with oil seperatly
Allow to cool
Grind chillies finely
Grind channa and urad dal seperately either finely or coarsely
Finally the curry leaves
All the ingredients should be dry grinded
Mix all the ground ingredients along with salt in a bowl and store in dry container

The taste of idlis smeared with podi and gingelly oil is just excellent and I know you would all agree with me.