Coorg Plate Idly by Sharada Mandanna

Ingredients:

• ½ K.g. Rice
• ½ cup cooked rice (soft)
• 250 gm.urud dhal
• ¼ Teaspoon methi seeds
• 1Tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak rice, urud dhal, methi for 5-hrs.
• Do not throw away the soaked water but use it during the grinding process.
• Add the cooked rice to the grinding and make a fine paste.
• Stir well. Add the sugar, cover and keep in warm place overnight.
• Next morning stir again and add 2 Teaspoon salt .
• Also ¼ Teaspoon cooking soda blended well with little hot milk and add to the ground paste.
• Mix it well and pour out into greased thalis and keep for steaming in the rice cooker /
  SHAKALA ( a very south Indian copper/steel or aluminumrice cooker similar to the Chinese variety ).
• Keep to steam for 35-40 minutes or till knife leaves clean.
• The cooker ought to be warmed up before keeping the puttu for steaming.
• If cooker is not available then use cooker like for idlys.
• The plates will have to be kept one on top of each other with the help of sticks placed criss-cross on the plates.
• Can make 3-5 plates depending on thickness.