Thatte idli

Step 1: Wash 14 oz idli rice (parboiled) and soak 5 hours. Separately soak 3 ½ oz whole skinned urad dal with ½ tsp fenugreek seeds for 5 hours. Soak 1 ¾ oz thick poha (beaten rice) in water for the last 30 minutes.

Step 2: Drain the urad and grind with a little of 1 ½ cups ice-cold water, adding it a spoon at a time, until fluffy, smooth and pale, 10 minutes in a wet grinder or 4–5 in a blender. Scrape into a large bowl.

Step 3: Grind the drained rice and poha with more water to a fine, slightly gritty paste like semolina. Mix into the urad with 1 ½ tsp salt, using your hand. The batter should be pourable, thinner than regular idli batter.

Step 4: Cover loosely and ferment in a warm place at 26–86°F for 8–12 hours (up to 14 in a cold kitchen) until it has roughly doubled, is full of bubbles and smells pleasantly sour. If it smells sharp like vinegar, it has gone too long.

Step 5: Bring water to a boil in a large steamer. Grease 4 wide steel plates or shallow 15 cm tins with 1 tbsp sunflower oil.

Step 6: Stir the batter gently once and pour a ladle into each plate to about 1 cm deep. Steam over high heat for 12–14 minutes, until the tops are set, glossy and a skewer comes out clean.

Step 7: Rest 2 minutes, run a knife round the edge and lift out. Serve hot with 1 ⅜ oz butter on top and 7 oz coconut chutney.