Kotte Kadubu

Ingredients

• 2 cups idli rice (parboiled) , soaked 4 hours
• 1 cup urad dal , whole skinless black gram, soaked 4 hours
• 6 jackfruit leaf cups (kotte) , cylindrical cups woven from fresh jackfruit leaves with coconut skewers
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2 cups water , for grinding

Preparation

1. 1

   Grind the soaked whole urad dal in a wet grinder with ice water until airy, thick, and fluffy.

2. 2

   Grind the soaked parboiled idli rice separately with minimal water to a slightly coarse, semolina-like (rava) consistency.

3. 3

   Combine the ground dal and rice batter in a deep vessel, add salt, and whisk thoroughly with your hands.

4. 4

   Cover and allow the batter to ferment in a warm place for 8 to 10 hours until it doubles in volume.

5. 5

   Rinse the woven jackfruit-leaf cups (kotte) gently and pat dry.

6. 6

   Gently stir the fermented batter once, then ladle into the woven jackfruit cups, filling each three-quarters full to allow room to rise.

7. 7

   Place the filled leaf molds upright in a steamer over rapidly boiling water.

8. 8

   Cover the steamer tightly and steam on high heat for 15 to 18 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

9. 9

   Remove the leaf cups from the steamer and let them rest for 5 minutes.

10. 10

    Peel back the fragrant jackfruit leaves to unmold the cylindrical steamed cakes, and serve warm with coconut chutney and saaru.

In the tradition

Sources & further reading

• ◆ Udupi Sri Krishna Matha Tradition , Madhwa Sampradaya Kitchens

Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.