Vermicelli Idli

Prepration Time:

15

Cook Time:

30

Servings:

4

Health Index:

Just Enjoy

Level of Difficulty:

Medium

Recipe Description:

Vermicelli is a type of pasta, round in section and somewhat thinner than spaghetti. It can also be made as different dishes according to one's creativity and one such creation is "The Vermicelli Idli".

Recipe Story:

In 14th-century Italy, extra-fine spaghetti had varying local names. "Master Barnaba da Reatinis from Reggio Emilia notes that Tuscan vermicelli are called orati in Bologne, minutelli in Venice, fermentini in Reggio and pancardelle in Mantua." The first mention of a vermicelli recipe is in the book De arte Coquinaria per vermicelli e maccaroni siciliani (The Art of Cooking Sicilian Macaroni and Vermicelli), compiled by the famous Maestro Martino da Como, unequalled in his field at the time and perhaps the first celebrity chef, who was the chef at the Roman palazzo of the papal chamberlain ("camerlengo"), the Patriarch of Aquileia. In Martino's Libro de arte coquinaria, there are several recipes for vermicelli, which can last two or three years (doi o tre anni) when dried in the sun.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Vermicelli (roasted or unroasted)
• 3 tbsp Oil
• Asafoetida a pinch
• 1 inch Ginger
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion
• 1/2 cup Peas and Carrot chopped mixed
• 1 cup Cabbage
• 2 Green Chillis
• Salt to taste
• Coriander Leaves (finely chopped)
• Cashews roasted a few
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves - a few
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or curd beaten to a Idli batter consistency
• Water for rice cooker

Directions:

Heat the Wok on the gas and add 1 tbsp oil to it. If you have unroasted vermicelli add 2 cups of it to the oil and roast on medium flame until they turn a little golden.Remove this and transfer to a plate and allow it to cool. In the same Wok add 1 tbsp of oil and add asafoetida,mustard seeds and when that splutters add green chillis, curry leaves,ginger, onion and cook until the onions are half cooked. Add the remaining vegetables and cook them for sometime. Add cashews and chopped coriander leaves to the mix and transfer them to a bowl and allow them to cool. When both the vermicelli and the vegetables are cooled add the buttermilk or curd mix so that you have just enough to mix and then allow them to rest for 10 mins. Then apply a little oil to the Idli plates and add in the mix. Steam them in a rice cooker by adding a little water to the base of the rice cooker and then placing the idli plates in it. Cook this for about 7-10 mins.Vermicelli Idli's are ready to be served hot.

By srividya76