Green Idly

I was at an utter shock when I saw green colored idly on my breakfast plate. I thought something was wrong with my eyes. I rubbed my eyes just to make sure everything is alright. Still the idlis were green. Panicky I double verified with my Aunty if those Idlis were green. She laughed and said they are regularly idly but she added White Hibiscus leaves to it.

I knew hibiscus, especially white hibiscus is considered to have medicinal properties in the Indian traditional system of medicine. Roots make various decoctions believed to cure various ailments. Both in India and China, infusions of Hibiscus leaves and flowers were mixed with herbal oils and applied on the scalp as a part of regular hair care. I didn’t realize that hibiscus leaves are edible. My aunty believes that extracts of some hibiscus species have health benefits, including prevention of constipation, bladder infections and nausea, and high blood pressure. The studies that yielded these results are debated. I was reluctant to taste but that would also hurt my Aunts’ feelings. So I ate it … it was delicious just like regular idly.

Recipe for Green Idly:

Ingredients: Idly rice (2 cups), Urad dal (1 cup), White hibiscus plant leaves (1 cup), Salt.

Soak idly rice over night. Soak Urad dal for 30 minutes. Grind Urad dal first in a grinder. Take out the grinded paste and grind rice to rava like paste. Mix Urad paste and rice paste well and allow it to ferment. After the batter is fermented, grind the hibiscus plant leaves and add it to the batter. Add salt to the taste. Now the idly batter is ready to be steamed into delicious idly. You can use regular idly stand or steel cup for steaming. Grease it with edible oil and put the batter in it and steam for 15-20 minutes till they are cooked well. Serve it with sambar and coconut chutney.