KOTTE KADUBU

(IDLI IN BANANA AND JACKFRUIT LEAVES)

Rice (dosa variety) -- 2 1/2 cups
OR
Rava -- 2 cups
Split black gram (Urad dal) -- 1 cup
Salt to taste

Banana and Jackfruit leaves for making idli



Soak urad dal for 8-10 hours.

Wash soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain and spread it on a clean cloth for 20 minutes.

Run it in a mixer to make rava. Be careful not to make a smooth powder. It should be grainy and a bit bigger granules than the semolina.

Once done sieve to remove the fine flour particles from rava. Keep the rava aside. 2 cups of rava is needed for the kadubu. The remaining flour can be used for some other dish.

Grind urad dal to a smooth paste. Add the rava and mix it nicely. Leave it for fermenting overnight.


To make banana leaf kotte --
    Take a wide and long banana leaf
    Slit the banana leaf in the center and separate the stem.
   Each piece should be around 2 feet length and 1 foot width.   Wlit them on open fire (takes 2 minutes, only until the color changes)
   Tie one side with the thread (usually thread is obtained from the center stem portion)
   After the batter is poured the other side is also tied.

To make jack fruit leaf kotte --
    Four leaves are held together with the help of the coconut leaf sticks.
    Take semi-tender and big sized 4 leaves of equal size.
    Pin them together one by one at the tip of the leaves.
    Fold them and pin them to make kotte as in the picture.
    Cut off the stem end to make room for pouring the batter.

Add salt and pour the batter into the kotte (a little more than half the capacityof each kotte. remember to leave some space for it to expand after cooking. ) and steam it in a steamer for 30 minutes. Peel and serve hot with coconut chutney.