Idli is not Indian..

 Source- Hubpages

First of all thank you all for the encouragement and support. For a real lazy bum like me, it means a lot and fuels my research and drive to write more. One of my friend even christened me with the term culinary anthropologist--I didnt even know such a term existed. But what the heck, it sounds all important. But yeah, Im not so vain to believe that I can be one just like that. Maybe some day--Sigh!. Many of you were asking where is the next post. I actually had this one almost ready for sometime now. But was waiting for an amazing resource book which I had ordered through Amazon. Its by this amazing food historian (probably the only one India has ever seen) K T Achaya. He actually inspired me to go beyond the trivias of our foods. So this post is dedicated to him. Some of you must have read articles about him and most of them were about his findings on a dish which a lot of us hold dear to our heart-- Idli.

I am yet to find out people who dont like idlis. This soft, fluffy, little round piece of magic is one of my favourite breakfast items. (Not that, I cant gulp it down other times too).
Idli in short is a South Indian savory cake . The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented  black lentils (de-husked) and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. (Source- Wikipedia) This process relies almost entirely on the weather to change a batter of ground rice and split peas into a light froth, which then only requires a quick steaming to become a deliciously light, highly nutritious, and very digestible breakfast.
(Trivia-- There are 64 calories in a piece of idly (depending on weight) and it is more nutritious than a dosa)

Story of Idli

K T Achaya’s theory is that idlis are a relatively recent introduction to India, and it might have actually come from Indonesia.He notes that the word might derive from ‘iddalige’, first mentioned in a Kannada work (Vaddaradhane) of 920 AD, but the indications are that this was made from an urad dhal batter only, which was neither fermented, nor steamed to fluffiness.

The Sanskrit Manasollasa of 1130 AD has ‘iddarika’, but again made from urad dhal flour only.  It actually describes iddarika as made of fine urad flour fashioned into small balls and then spiced with pepper powder, cumin powder and asafoetida. In Karnataka, a century later, the idli is described as being 'light, like coins of high value.'. 

In Tamil, the ' itali' makes only a late appearance, in 17 th century AD (in Maccapuranam).

All these references, Achaya notes, leave out three key aspects of idlis: “the use of rice grits along with urad dhal; the long fermentation of the mix; and the steaming of the batter to fluffiness.” 

Then how did the modern idli evolve?

Achaya contends that only after 1250 AD are there references to what seem to be idlis as we know them. Achaya’s contention is that this absence from the historical record could mean that idlis are an imported concept — perhaps from Indonesia.

But again, why Indonesia? 

Hindu kings from Indonesia, a country where fermenting is quite common, often came to India between the 8th and the 12th centuries, looking for brides. The cooks with them, suggested Achaya, brought the technique that changed the character of this breakfast delight. Indonesia  has a long tradition of fermented products, like tempeh (fermented soy cakes), kecap (from where we get ketchup) or something called kedli, which Achaya says, is like an idli. This is plausible enough given the many links between Southeast Asia and South India, through Hindu rulers and traders.

Is that the only version of the story??

No.Many critics also contend that just because of the absence of literature of a particular dish cannot rule out its existence in a region. (They so badly want idli to be Indian.;)).Remember the Kannada book which had ' iddalige'--(Read above)--Some linguistic experts say, Many old words appearing in the Vaddaradhane,but extinct now in modern Kannada, are existing still in Tulu even now.Like "muttukadi","baikam"(Baikampadi) etc.Apparently, old Kannada and Tulu shared many words at that time;maybe they also shared rice dishes like iddli (iddalige). We are handicapped by the absence of Tulu texts dating back to 10th C. AD or older ones.
Compare this with the numerous leaf based steam cooked Tulu rice dishes similar to iddli in technology.However it is difficult to trace the antiquity of these leaf-wraped precursors of iddlis.
Since,leafy vessels are more primitive designs than the more modern iddli cooking vessels, so many would argue that these Tulu disheslike moode,gunda,kotte etc., were the actual ancestors of the modern iddlis.

Ok- they might be ancestors, but not the real deal right. So we are now left to believe Iddli is indeed a gift from the Indonesians. And here is why.

Its all about fermentation...

Whether imported from Indonesia or invented in India, it’s worth noting how unique the idli fermentation process is. Its sometimes assumed that it’s like bread fermentation for bread, so it could be facilitated by yeast. Restaurants abroad often do this, as Mumbai hotelier V V Kamat discovered while working as a young man in a London restaurant. But as he notes in his lively autobiography, titled Idli, Orchid and Will Power, “the idlis made there were like stone.” He surreptitiously started making them the proper way, leaving unleavened batter to ferment overnight, and the problem was solved.

This extraordinary phenomenon is explained by Harold McGee, a food science expert- Leavening is often thought of as just being a matter of producing gas bubbles, through chemical substances like baking powder, or biological ones like yeast. But as important as making bubbles is trapping them, which is what elastic gluten proteins do in bread made from wheat. Rice has little gluten, so something else is needed and this McGee suggests is provided by bacteria similar to the ones that make yoghurt, which work in idli batter alongside gas producing organisms to thicken it enough to trap the bubbles. Yeast might work too fast, producing bubbles that would escape because the batter wasn’t thick enough yet.
Only overnight fermentation would result in the perfect light, slightly sour batter that is steamed to made idlis. Light, wholesome, low in fat, well balanced between carbs and proteins, perfectly textured to absorb spicy sauces like sambar or cool chutneys. 

So apparently, we Indians didnt know of this fermentation process till the Indonesian kings came to find brides.And as usual, we embraced the dish and the process and made it our own.

Oh..We didnt have vessels too

Another reason purported in favour of idlis immigration is the lack of steaming vessels in India in 7 th century AD. Remember Xuan Zang, whose exploits we had to painfully mug up during our history classes, was categorical in stating that India did not have a steaming vessel. (Who knew travellers whould actually take note of vessels?) 

But then again, critics say that steaming can be achieved by much more simplistic techniques. Like tying a cloth on top of any vessel used to cook with boiling water in it essentially works as steaming. Now, I think from time immemorial people had been doing just that. Chinese started with bamboo steamers. So do you really need vessels to replicate steaming process??

Chutney powder to go along with.. ( aka addendum)

I actually set out to search for idli like foods in other cuisines and was surprised to find almost all of them had some kind of steamed cake and some even fermented too. It will take a whole new post to document that.

So I thought I will conecentrate my efforts on just Indonesian cuisine- Does a 'kedli' exist which Achaya said is the ancestor or sibling of Idli?

Unfortunately, I couldnt find any kedlis there. Though I found Bura,  rice cooked in coconut milk, served with spicy coconut powder

 Ok, it looks more like rectangular idli-ilayappam, but dont we also eat idlis with chutney powder? If you know of more similar dishes, especially in Indonesian cuisine, do comment.

Idlis are also  offered as nivedyam (food offering) on Ganesha chathurthi day ( in some parts of India, especially South) - although the special idli is made from paccha arisi (raw rice), deviating from the norm, since the commonly made idli from puzhungal arisi (pre-cooked, rice par-boiled with the husk) is considered "impure" or un-offerable as it violates the principle of offering only fresh made things in cooked food to the Lord. 

Kanchi Paramacharya also offers a philosophical twist to the whole idli condundrum. 

"The term iduthal (in Tamil) refers to keeping something set and untouched. We call the cremation ground idukaadu (in Tamil). There we keep the mrita sarira (mortal body) set on the burning pyre and then come away. The term iduthal also refers to refining gold with fire. The (Tamil) term idu marunthu has a similar connotation: a drug given once without any repetition of dosage. In the same way, we keep the iddly wet flour on the oven and do nothing to it until it is cooked by steam."

(Wow. That sure is deep) 

  

And well, then we all lived happily ever after eating idlis..;).


Update-

Vircabutar have also provided some extra information on idlis- 

One of the indonesian fermented, steamed cake is called "kue mangkok."This also kind of attributes to the origin of Idli from Indonesia.

There are a lot of variety of idlis. A collection of recipes is attached. 

1. Vermicelli idli and Kanchivaram idli

2. The world famous Ramasseri idlis- description and possible recipe

3. A very detailed regular idli recipe-- Good for beginners

4. Poha idli

5. Idli- A Video tutorial

6. My fave- Fried button idlis

7. A very interesting chart on 1000 idlis

Note- I have tried all of them except Ramasseri idlis. And you're welcome to give me more idli recipes

Sources:

K T Achayas A Historical dictionary of Indian food

Newspaper links and articles- Some interesting ones-- Link1   Link 2  Link 3

Rasikas forum 
Wikipedia on Idli

Lets start with-- Story of Avial

 Picture courtesy: Kitchenmishmash

According to Wikipedia, Aviyal or avial  is a dish that has a unique place in typical Kerala as well as Tamil cuisine. It is a thick mixture of vegetables, curd and coconut seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. Aviyal is considered an essential part of the Sadhya.(traditional feast of Kerala served in banana leaves = yum heaven).

But why Avial as my first post??

Indian cuisine especially Kerala cuisine is a mashed up version of a lot of cuisines. Because of the interaction and assimilation with a lot of cultures from time immemorial, food in our land has undergone a lot of changes. What better way to welcome a visitor than offering them the food they love?

Avial essentially means ‘to be cooked’. Colloquially, it also refers to a mixture of anything and everything. I could not think of a better dish to start with-since we are celebrating food and understanding all the different ways it could have come to us.

So, trivia time- There are different stories surrounding the origin of Avial.

Version 1  says there was a random king who didnt like to waste anything and when he saw leftovers of cut vegetables getting wasted,ordered the chef to make use of everything. The imaginative chef apparently invented the dish Aviyal.

Version 2 which is a more elaborate version than first one is more interesting. According to this legend, aviyal was invented by Bhima ( remember the big strong Pandava in Mahabharata). Apparently, during his exile in the kingdom of Virata- he was in the disguise of a cook and obviously being the macho warrior he knew zilch about cooking. So he did, what some of us did in our early days of cooking. Chopped up different vegetables, boiled them in water and added grated coconut. And thank his lucky stars, the dish became a hit and thus Aviyal was born.

This version is often mixed up with Version 1 and embellished making the king of Virata the thrifty king who didnt like wasting and Bhima the imaginative cook. But I guess it was just a Chinese whispered tale.

No matter how interesting the story may seem, many find it difficult to believe it since Pandavas apparently was crisscrossing only parts of North India during their exile and  Virat kingdom is somewhere near present day Rajasthan. Critics ask, if the story was true- then how come Aviyal is mostly a South Indian dish. North Indians generally don't eat Aviyal as a part of their regular cuisine unless they have gotten inspired by their South Indian neighbours next door. I have my wild theories regarding that- but since I dont have historical backing and its just a wild story let me complete with all the versions of Aviyal history and get to my imaginative history.


Update on Version 2- Tharakan Sir from Parayil blog also puts forth an explanation which indicates that " it is believed that the Pandavas spent a considerable time in Kerala during their year of hiding after the vanavasa (living in the forests) of 12 years. If they were recognized during that period the cycle of vanavasa and hiding had to be repeated. They had to be very careful to remain incognito. While the other Pandavas were satisfied with living on fruits etc., Bhima’s appetite required more solid food".This possibly is an alternate explanation for the ubiquitous presence of Aviyal in Kerala, but again its a myth which at the moment I dont have historical facts to back up with.

Version 3 comes from Kottarathil Sankunni. Those who dont know him- He is the author of Aithihyamaala ( basically a compilation of lores and legends of Kerala).The Maharaja of Travancore used to perform Murajapam (kind of an elaborate pooja (ritual) with lots of Brahmin pundits I guess) every year, a vedic seminar, in which a large number of vedic scholars participated. One year it so happened that there was no vegetables left on the last day of the Murajapam.. Only few pieces of various vegetables left over from the previous days were available. The cook cut all the left overs into long thin pieces and prepared "Aviyal." The king liked the dish so much and presented him with a gold bracelet and ordered that this dish be served every year since then.

Regardless of which version is true, all of them are interesting-dontcha think??

So now comes my wild analysis of it all- keeping in mind the Bhima version is true. ( The below version of the evolution of aviyal dont have any historical backing. Though, all the facts described unless stated otherwise is true).

Avial is also a common dish found in Tamilnadu and Andhra Pradesh. I am not sure about Karnataka-so help me out there. Infact, Avial and Adai in Tamilnadu is a widely sought out delicacy.

If you already didnt know it, Avial is primarily a Nair delicacy. There is even a saying in my place, which almost translates that Aviyal is no Aviyal if a Nair didnt make it. ( And we have been told my dad who is a pukka Christian makes a mean Avial compared to all the Nairs in our area. Glee!.:)). Anyways who are these Nairs?

They are our very own warrior class of Kerala known for their exceptional cooking skills ( That discovery is from me based on purely oral folklore-Comment if you know anything more.)The 17th century Brahmin-inspired  Keralolpathi (origin of Kerala) and the Grama Padhati of Tulu Brahmins describes the Nairs of Kerala and the similarly matrilineal Bunts of Tulu Nadu as descendants of Kshatriyas who accompanied the Brahmins to Kerala and Tulu Nadu respectively from Ahichatra/Ahikshetra in northern Panchala. (which is in present day Uttar Pradesh). So could it be that the Bhima story is true and the Nairs actually came from North India with the secret recipe ( ah, well not so secrety, come to think of it) and popularized in South India?

Could it also be descendants of Virata kingdom, which is originally founded by fishermen community who later attained kingship migrated to the Southern coastal regions and carried the recipe of the prized dish with them?? ( This assumption has no historical backing)

Whichever ways it is, I am sure it was an interesting ride for the Avial. For such a simple and humble dish, who thought it will have so much of stories behind it.

And it aint over yet.

Like any other dishes, it also has variations in the way its prepared in different regions. I can only speak for some regions and about Kerala, so feel free to add more if you guys know about it.

The traditional aviyal generally uses common vegetables in Kerala like Plantain(Ethakka),Elephant Yam(Chena),Long string beans(Achinga Payaru),Snake gourd(padavalenga),Cucumber(Vellarikka),DrumSticks(Muringakka) ,Raw Mango(Pacha maanga) and Carrots.In northern Kerala they even put Bitter Gourd(Paavakka) .

There is a significant difference in the way Avial is prepared in South Kerala compared to North. I never knew it till I ate Aviyal from a friends place in Cochin. In South Kerala, garlic is added while grinding the coconut. And sometimes instead of curd, tamarind or raw mango pieces are used. Thats how it is done in my home in Kollam, but I love the curd version of Avial.


Update on regional differences- In some parts of Thrissur, Aviyal is made very watery instead of the usual dry version.The vegetables are allowed to cook till soft, the coconut is grounded to a smooth paste with  liberal quantities of water and buttermilk added. As a final touch, a couple of smashed pearl onions will be dropped into the curry, giving it a delicious flavour. And my friend from Karnataka had shared that there is an adaptation of the avial that you see in the coastal belt (Mangalore region) where the cuisine has Kerala influences. It is more like a gravy though.


So anyone coming across these recipes, please do let me know.


In the traditional aviyal, all vegetables go in it, except perhaps, some mushy vegetables, like, tomato, brinjal, ladies fingers, cabbage, cauliflower, beetroot (it stains the dish), radish, turnip, onion, sweet potato, etc. Ever wondered why? It also gives us the answer why a Brahmin wouldnt put onion in Avial ( ofcourse must have been in the older days). Thats because most of these are foreign vegetables which was brought to Kerala either through traders, tourists or invaders. And at one point of time, those were considered to be impure.

Last trivia for the day For example, the big onion which we lovingly call us as 'savola' back home came from the Portugese. Go to Brazil or Portugal, they call the big onion- cebola. Makes sense?

More about this later--

For all you know, they must be making avial at their homes.:P. Just kidding!.

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After all this aviyal talk and no recipes..dont kick me-- there is from 2 lovely food bloggers who often come to my rescue in days of need. I have tried out both the recipes and they are awesome.

Avial from Kitchenmishmash

Love it for the detail and precision.If you're cooking for the first time, way to go recipe and trust me, its totally worth following everything. I got my first pat on the back for cooking from guests for that.

Avial from Varsha

That recipe makes it all sound so easy, and when you do it- it actually is..

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Sauted by a.ka. credits:

Wikipedia

Deepann
Adukkala

Aithihyamaala

Random food history books on India

PBS documentaries (Six part series of History Of India)

 A big thanks to Mishmash, Varsha and Maddy for the inspiration and support and letting me use your precious babies (known as blog posts)

Note:  I have used the recipes and pictures of bloggers who have given me permission to do so.I know how much of an effort it takes to be a food blogger and I respect it. If you would love to showcase your recipes or post your pics, it will be my pride and pleasure to do so. Do leave me a mail or comment if you are interested in being part of this. The more the merrier.

Wanna know more about Nairs. Maddy has a different version about how Nairs came into Kerala- From Scythia. He goes and analyse a little more far behind. Check out Maddys blog which gives you a detailed review.