Chennai Street Food Recipes In Tamil

Idli or idly (/ɪ d l iː / i) (plural: idlis) is a type of savoury rice cake, originating from South India, popular as a breakfast food in Southern India and in Sri Lanka. The cakes are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermted black ltils (de-husked) and rice. The fermtation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolised by the body.

A precursor of the modern idli is mtioned in several ancit Indian works. Vaddaradhane, a 920 CE Kannada language work by Shivakotiacharya mtions iddalige, prepared only from a black gram batter. Chavundaraya II, the author of the earliest available Kannada cyclopedia, Lokopakara (

1025 CE), describes the preparation of this food by soaking black gram in buttermilk, ground to a fine paste, and mixed with the clear water of curd and spices.

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The Western Chalukya king and scholar Someshwara III, reigning in the area now called Karnataka, included an idli recipe in his cyclopedia, Manasollasa (1130 CE). This Sanskrit-language work describes the food as iḍḍarikā. In Karnataka, the Idli in 1235 CE is described as being light, like coins of high value, which is not suggestive of a rice base.

The recipe mtioned in these ancit Indian works leaves out three key aspects of the modern idli recipe: the use of rice (not just black gram), the long fermtation of the mix, and the steaming for fluffiness. The referces to the modern recipe appear in the Indian works only after 1250 CE. Food historian K. T. Achaya speculates that the modern idli recipe might have originated in prest-day Indonesia, which has a long tradition of fermted food. According to him, the cooks employed by the Hindu kings of the Indianised kingdoms might have invted the steamed idli there, and brought the recipe back to India during 800–1200 CE.

According to food historian Colle Taylor S the fermtation process of idli batter is natural process that was discovered indepdtly in India, since nearly all cultures use fermtation in some form.

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Gujarati historians believe that it was Saurashtrian textile merchants who introduced idli to South India during the 10th and 12th cturies. There are ev claims that a mix of rice and black gram ground together and later steamed to form cakes had its origins in Gujarat.

The Gujarati work Varṇaka Samuccaya (1520 CE) mtions idli as idari, and also mtions its local adaptation idada (a non-fermted version of dhokla).

To make Idli, four parts uncooked rice (idli rice or parboiled rice) to one part whole white ltil (black gram, Vigna mungo) are soaked separately for at least four hours to six hours or overnight. Optionally spices such as fugreek seeds can be added at the time of soaking for additional flavour. Once done soaking, the ltils are ground to a fine paste and the rice is separately coarsely ground, th they are combined. Next, the mixture is left to fermt overnight during which its volume will more than double. After fermtation some of the batter may be kept as a starter culture for the next batch. The finished idli batter is put into greased moulds of an idli tray or tree for steaming. The perforated molds allow the idlis to be cooked evly. The tree holds the trays above the level of boiling water in a pot, and the pot is covered until the idlis are done (about 10–25 minutes, depding on size). A more traditional method is to use leaves instead of moulds.

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Since plain idlis are mild in taste, a condimt is considered esstial. Idlis are oft served with chutneys (coconut based), sambar and Medu vada. However, this varies greatly by region and personal taste, it is also oft served with kaara chutney (onion based) or spicy fish curries. The dry spice mixture podi is convit while travelling.

There are several regional variations of idlis made in South India and Sri Lanka. With the emigration of south Indians and Sri Lankans throughout the region and world, many variations on idli have be created in addition to the almost countless local variations. Hard-to-get ingredits and differing cooking customs have required changes in both ingredits and methods. Parboiled rice can reduce the soaking time considerably. Store-bought ground rice or cream of rice may also be used.

In addition to or instead of fugreek other spices may be used such as mustard seeds, chili peppers, cumin, coriander, ginger, etc.

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Sugar may be added to make them sweet instead of savoury. Idli may also be stuffed with a filling of potato, beans, carrot and masala.

A microwave or an automatic electric steamer that is non-stick is considered to be a convit alternative to convtional stovetop steamers. Batter preparation using a manual rocking rock grinder can be replaced by electric grinders or blders. Many restaurants have also come up with fusion recipes of Idlis as idly manchurian, idly fry, chilly idly, stuffed idly, to name a few.

Fermtation of idli batter results in both leaving caused by the geration of carbon dioxide as well as an increase in acidity. This fermtation is performed by lactic acid bacteria especially the heterofermtative strain Leuconostoc mesteroides and the homofermantative strain terococcus faecalis (formerly classified as Streptococcus faecalis). Heterofermantative lactic acid bacteria such as L. mesteroides gerate both lactic acid as well as carbon dioxide whereas homofermantative lactic acid bacteria only gerate lactic acid.

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Both L. mesteroides and E. faecalis are predominantly delivered to the batter by the black gram. Both strains start multiplying while the grains are soaking and continue to do so after grinding.

L. mesteroides tolerates high conctrations of salt unlike most other bacteria. Hce the salt in the batter and the ongoing geration of lactic acid both suppress the growth of other undesirable micro-organisms.Chennai, the place of origin of the Chicken 65 dish, is a top food destination. It has a lot more to offer than just idli and dosa. Its rich and vibrant culture is reflective of its varied food palate. The capital of Tamil Nadu has a wide array of street foods. It was featured in the second spot in National Geographic's list of Top 10 Food Cities from around the globe. If you're a foodie, you cannot give this city a miss.

1. Idly - The Best Street Food in ChennaiBeing the staple food of Tamil Nadu, Idli is readily available on almost every street corner. It is made from rice and is usually served with sambar and coconut chutney. Murugan Idly Shop is a popular joint in Chennai which serves their idlis with a wide variety of chutneys. Although the process of making these is quite easy, however, not everyone can get them to be fluffy and as light as air.

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2. ChaatMint Street in Chennai is the place to go to if you are looking for some good chaat. This North Indian street food is a hit among the locals. Kakada Ramprasad is a popular shop on this street that serves some delicious chaat items. You must try their Aloo Tikki chaat, which is just the right amount of crispy.

3. AthoOriginally a Burmese dish, Atho is a popular street food in Chennai. It consists of noodles served with vegetables. Head over to the Burma Bazaar or Beach Road where lines of roadside stalls sell this unique street food. Atho Man, a food joint on G.A. Road,  serves various types of Athos and is worth a shot.

4. Pani PuriPani Puri or Gol Gappa is a popular street food across India. In Chennai, the locals head over to Mint Street to snack on pani puris. Among the various street vendors, one particular vendor stands out. It is for Vishnu's Pani puris that people queue up. He has been in the business for more than 40 years and to this day sells pani puris from the exact same spot.

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5. UthappamUthappam is another popular South Indian dish. Unlike a dosa, it is a lot thicker and filled with vegetables and is usually served with sambar or chutney. No other place serves better Uthappams than Seena Bhai Tiffin Centre which has been selling the same items for 36 years. Located in Mint Street, George Town, people come here from all across Chennai to indulge in their only two dishes, ghee uthappam and ghee idli.

6. BhajjiBhajjis, similar to a pakora, is a snack that is popular in many parts of India. In Chennai, this is served with different chutneys and is loved by the locals. Jannal Kadai in Mylapore is a small window shop where people line up to have their bhajis with a special chutney. One can also find some excellent bhaji outlets on East Mada Road. 

7. JalebiJalebi is a sweet which is loved by one all. It is usually served with rabri, but one can have it by itself as well. Ram Prasad's Jalebii stall in Sowcarpet is where one can find the crispiest jalebis. He has been in business for more than 20 years and has a huge customer base.

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8. PuttuPuttu is a breakfast dish made from rice and topped with coconut. In Chennai, under the North Usman Flyover, a guy by the name of Ismail sells puttus made from