Elai Vadam recipe | இலை வடாம் | How to make elai vadam is a variety of vadam that is generally made in the summer season and stored for a year. I have already posted the recipes for javarisi vadam, karuvadam, and arisi appalam. Though Amma doesn’t make elai vadam, I love it very much. I got introduced to this vadam through one of my friends some years back. She sent me some store-bought elai vadams, and they tasted the same as the Delhi appalams we get in exhibitions. This year, I wanted to try elai vadams on my own. Finally, our tenant auntie India, who hails from Palakkad, shared the recipe, and I tried it at home 2 days back. It turned out very well. This can be done in places where you don’t have a terrace and get sunlight only through windows. This vadam doesn’t require direct hot sunlight.
Elai vadam recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Idli rice
- ½ cup Raw rice | pacharisi
- 1 tbsp Sago | javarisi 1 tblsp optional
- ¼ tsp Jeera | cumin seeds
- a pinch Omam | ajwain
- ¼ tsp Asafoetida
- Salt as needed
- Oil for deep frying vadams
Instructions
- Soak the idli rice , raw rice, and sago in water for 5 hours. Drain the water and grind it into a very smooth paste. Ensure that the batter is very smooth. You can grind this in a grinder, too. Since it is in small quantities, I used a mixie.
- Once it is ground nicely, add salt, asafoetida, cumin seeds, and omam to this.
- Mix it well and allow this to ferment for 2 hours. This is optional. You can start making it directly too. Some people ferment for 12 hours and make their own. Since aunty told me to do like this, i just followed the method.
- After 2 hours, mix the batter well and ensure the consistency is like dosa batter.
- Add water to an idli pan and keep a small cup filled with water inside.
- Keep a banana leaf on a plate that fits in the pan.
- Add a ladle of batter to this. Do not grease the leaf.
- Spread it in a circular motion like a dosa. Generally, this is called "ezhudardu" in Tamil, which means "writing" on the leaf.
- Steam this for 30-40 seconds; the batter will be steamed.
- Nowadays, we can find Ilai Vadam stands at leading stores in Tamil Nadu.
- When it is warm, slowly peel it off; it will come out easily.
- Spread a clean white dhoti, a newspaper, or a plastic sheet in a place that gets some sunlight in your house.
- Do it for the rest of the batter.
- Leave it overnight. I finished around 12 pm, and the next morning it was completely dry. Before going to sleep, it just flipped it once.
- If you are drying it under direct sunlight on an open terrace, it will dry in 2 hours.
- Store it in an airtight dry container.
- Whenever you want, you can deep-fry them in oil and enjoy them with any rice you choose.
- This can be kept even for a year if handled properly. Whenever you want to have it, fry it and eat.
- This can be had as a tea-time snack.
- You can sprinkle some red chili powder and have it too.
Brilliant!! Really a big help for people who can't get direct sunlight
Looks yummy ! I will eat with green chutney before it dries��
Super!! traditional & yummy dish !!!
Well explained. Have to try this once.
Well explained. Have to try this once.
wonderful and yummy recipe..
Is there a alternate to banana leaf?? As I can't get it in US
Wow!!! Looks interesting and easy too. Will surely try this.
Can v directly spread on the clothe instead of steaming step
Hi Jeyashri, I tried it and it turned out perfect !!!.. Thanks for the recipe.
Thanks a lot for the recipe.. I love this but my mom forgot the recipe n steps too..ur recipe s of very big help.. going to try sooner.. remembers me of my childhood days.. if I think of it, tastes s still there in d mouth..thanks again..
What to do if there are no bananna leaves????
Sorry couldn't make without banana leaves.
I'm in US. I've actually tried it directly on a flat stainless steel plate as well. When using the plate directly, you need a little patience when peeling. The ilia vadam stand that I bought eventually is stainless steel. So, I'm sure if you've flat steel plate, it works well.
I regularly do this in 6 plated steel vadam maker stand in large quantities.. Steel plate is more convenient than banana leaf and the time consumption will be very less. No assistance from a second person is required for the whole process, can carry out alone without any tension in steel plate.
Mrs jeyashri, In the present day trend of posting irrelevant recipes, I feel really happy that you have been posting some age-old traditional recipes. Keep it up. Where are you residing. Pass on my pranams to your periamma.
Thanks a lot. Will convey Perimma. I live in Hongkong now.