World
Idli Day which we celebrate on March
30 every year, started 9 years ago. Eniyavan, a passionate idli lover decided to
dedicate a day for idlis and soon it became a trend in the food world. The
story of this day is as interesting as the origin of idli itself. The delicious
South Indian staple that can be served in any meal has actually become staple
for the entire country and the reason is its simple recipe and many health
benefits
According
to media reports, World Idli Day is the brainchild of Eniyavan, a popular idli
caterer from Chennai. It has been reported that in 2015, he made 1,328
varieties of idlis to commemorate this day. To celebrate the day, a giant
44-kilogram idli that was cut by a bureaucrat to seal the deal and declare
March 30 as World Idli Day.
According
to food historians, idli first originated in Indonesia, which is known for its
long tradition of fermented food. Later, it came to India in the form of
steamed idli during the period of 800-1200 CE. Some theories believe that the
word was derived from ‘Iddalige’, and was mentioned in a Kannada work of 920
AD, and it indicates that it was made from an urad dal batter. Also, the
Sanskrit Manasollasa of 1130 AD has ‘Iddarika’, that mentioned it a dish made
with urad dal. And Tamil people first mentioned it as ‘Itali’ in the 17th
century. All these references make it clear that since the very beginning idli
had the use of rice grits, urad dal, long fermentation process and the steaming
of the batter to tasty fluffiness.
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