Introduction:

Idli is chosen as the best breakfast in the world. What is the reason behind this? Of Course, breakfast is a very important meal in human nutrition. And we can say that breakfast in different regions plays a predominant role in that particular region. But how come the idli, the south Indian breakfast becomes the best breakfast in the world? It is quite natural for everyone to know the reasons. To make it clear I would like to state the beneficial and nutritional facts of idli in this article.

Breakfast:

Before speaking about idli as a breakfast meal, it is inevitable to speak about it. As the name implies breakfast is breaking the fast. Yes. It is very important to break the fast. I can stress this with two examples. We used to fuel the motorcycle with petrol. If the petrol gets over what will happen? It can not move. If it is very essential, we can just push it for a certain distance. But the mission will not be completed. The same thing for a man to work without breakfast. Likewise, it is running a motor from an empty sump. It leads to damage to the motor. So it is very essential to have breakfast in the morning. That is why breakfast is called refueling the body.".

Idli and their ingredients :

Idli is a steamed product made from a mixture of fermented parboiled rice and black gram batter. The ingredients used to make idli are

1. Parboiled rice - 500 grams
2. Black Gram dhal - 100 grams.
3. Fenugreek seeds - 5 grams.

The ingredients and their nutritional values:

• Parboiled rice:

Rice is a cereal and it is obtained from paddy. Cereals are the staple food of Indians. Generally, all cereals are rich in carbohydrates and they are providing energy to us.

1g. Carbohydrates gives 4 kcal energy.

In a balanced diet, at least 60% of energy must be obtained from only carbohydrates.

Paddy has got coverings such as hull and husk. The hull must be removed since the layers in the hull are hard to digest. But the next part husk has some useful layers called the aleurone layer and testa. The aleurone layer gives softness and the testa gives a taste. More than this, they are rich in a particular B vitamin called Thiamine.

We can get two types of rice and they are raw rice and parboiled rice. Raw rice is obtained by just milling the dried paddy.

When raw rice is milled all the layers of paddy are removed. The remaining part is only starch and it gives energy alone.

Parboiled rice is obtained by steaming the whole paddy partially and the steamed paddy is dried under the sun, then milled.

In the process of parboiling the vitamin B1 which is in the husk is inserted into the starchy portion. So parboiled rice is a good source of B1 vitamin in addition to starch. Vitamin B1 is proven to give strength to the nervous system, especially because it prevents the disease Beri Beri. People who have the complaint of anorexia nervosa can be relieved from it if they have parboiled rice regularly.

• Black gram dhal:

Black gram dhal comes under the pulses variety. All the pulses are called poor man's meat since they have an equal amount of protein as that meat. Black gram dhal too has a higher quantity of protein. Black gram dhal is especially good for idli. Why particularly should we use black gram dal in idli? Because the sugar arabinose galactose present in black gram dhal holds the air tightly and makes the batter very soft and silky. So it gives a special taste to idli, dosa, and vada. The fiber in black gram dhal too helps to hold the gas after fermentation. When it comes to the nutritive value, the soluble fiber in black gram dhal binds the bile acids and prevents them from being absorbed by the body, thus reducing cholesterol levels. Daily consumption of around 3/4 cup of black gram dhal helps to decrease LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol triglycerides.

• Fenugreek seeds:

Fenugreek seeds are one of the staple spices used in Indian cooking, with a sweet, nutty flavor. It can be incredibly bitter when eaten raw, but when cooked and combined with aromatics and spices, it transforms and gives a sweetness and depth of flavor to saucy dishes.

Fenugreek not only gives the dosa batter an inviting aroma but also adds flavor and helps the batter ferment better. Also, the dosa batter can be stored for a week.

Regular consumption of fenugreek seeds helps in lowering total cholesterol, LDL (bad cholesterol), and triglyceride levels in the blood while increasing beneficial HDL cholesterol levels.

Process of grinding the idli batter :

Both the parboiled rice and black gram dhal are washed separately and thoroughly in water. Then they are soaked separately in water for 3 hours. The fenugreek seeds may be added to parboiled rice. After three hours the soaked black gram dhal must be grinded in a wet grinder. Water must be sprinkled then and there and grinded. When it is grinded well and becomes very soft it can be taken out. To check the texture and consistency we have to touch and see the batter and it must be as soft as a baby's bum. Then in the same wet grinder,

the soaked rice is grinded with a little amount of water. When it becomes a batter, it must be removed and stored in a stainless steel or aluminum vessel. Both the black gram dhal batter and rice batter are mixed adding 3 spoons of salt in it. Then it is allowed for fermentation for a period of a minimum of 6 to a maximum of 12 hours depending on the season. The fermented batter is ready to make idlis.

The processes take place in the idli batter:

When the grinded batter is allowed to be set aside for a particular period, there two process takes place

• Fermentation :

Fermentation is a process by which the yeast takes the sugar and gives some products.

Yeast +Sugar—

CO2 +Alcohol +Acetic acid +Succinic acid.

Yeast :

Yeasts are single-cell microscopic plants. They are used in the fermentation process.

The enzymes present in the yeast are helpful for fermentation.

The enzymes are

1. Invertase. 2. Maltase. 3. Protease. 4. Zymase.

1. Invertase:
   The invertase acts on sugar which is in rice batter and makes the complex sugar into simple sugar. This simple sugar helps for uniform mixing and avoids lumps.
   Invertase +Complex sugar = Simple sugar.
2. Maltase : 
   his maltase enzyme acts on maltose sugar, which is also present in flour.
   Maltase+Maltose sugar —------>Simple sugar.
   This also helps in uniform mixing and softness
3. Protease : 
   Protease enzymes act on proteins of black gram dhal and make it softer.
4. Zymase :
   The zymase acts on the whole flour and gives 4 products.
   Zymase +flour -> CO2 +Alcohol +Acetic acid +Succinic acid.
   CO2 - gives good volume and softness.
   Alcohol - Slight sour taste.
   Succinic acid - a pleasant flavor.
   Acetic acid - kills the bacteria.

Moreover, in the process of fermentation surplus amounts of B- Complex vitamins are newly synthesized.

Thus the fermented batter has got all the above qualities.

Mutual supplementation:

The rice lacks one important amino acid, lysine, and the urdh dhal (black gram )lacks methionine. When these two are mixed in a ratio of 5:1, it is supplemented with each other and becomes rich in all the essential amino acids. This process is called mutual supplementation, and this is equal to the nonvegetarian protein, in its essential amino acids content.

Thus the idli batter becomes an excellent source of nutrients and being steamed it is very soft, easily digestible, and very delicious.

The best accompaniments for idli:

The best accompaniments are sambar, chutney, and milagai podi.

Sambar :

Sambar is a liquid gravy made with boiled and mashed red gram dhal ( duvar dhal) added with vegetables. To improve the taste and flavor salt and seasoning are added. Sambar powder and tamarind pulp too are added to taste and they act as preservatives too.

Sambar is better preferred by most people. Idli is dipped or soaked in sambar and it tastes so good and goes smoothly into the esophagus (food pipe).

Chutneys :

Chutneys are grinded pastes seasoned with gingelly oil, red chilly, curry leaves, and mustard. Chutneys can be made from tomatoes, onions, or coconuts.

Gingelly oil is a very good preservative and it reduces the blood cholesterol level. Idli can be dipped in chutneys and consumed.

Milagai podi:

Milagai podi is dry grinded with fried black gram dal, Bengal gram dhal, and red chilies.

This powder must be mixed with gingelly oil and made into a paste. The idli can be dipped in this paste and can be consumed. Idli smeared with this paste is an excellent packed lunch.

Conclusion:

There are numerous varieties of breakfast. Each one has its taste and values. When any food is cooked properly, by adding suitable ingredients it becomes very tasty and flavorful. Because all our spices are flavourmatics. But Idli has occupied a special place means, really these would be special reasons. For whatever reasons they might have selected idli as the best breakfast, I want to stress my strong views and the result is this article. 

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