Brown streaking in cooked idli, from white looking batter - what gives?
Batter was made from "double horse" idli mix (which by label only contains rice and urad dal), plus a few fenugreek seeds, ground in a blender as the package recommends, fermented 24h, in european summer climate, then stored in fridge for a day, looks fine though a bit lumpy raw. No strong off smells as far as I can judge.
When steamed (~20 min) in an idly steamer (which I am not yet very familiar with), the cooked result seems fine but has brown streaks throghout - as if someone swirled caramel or chocolate into the batter. Texture, taste, smell seem fine.
Pot with a whistle, but non-pressurizable. Did not run dry. Batter in raw form has no dark streaks. Equipment clean. Blender might have had traces(!) of cashews, limoncello, sugar, soymilk in it.
Is this a fermentation fault, or can using too much heat to drive the steamer cause some kind of burn/caramelization? Is this anything potentially unsafe happening?
Outside does look caramelized where there are streaks indeed, can the inside swirl be due to steam jets through the steamer holes?
Same mix (not sure if I added the fenugreek), same steamer, same time (not sure about same heat) worked before.
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Why are my idlis turning brown?
When we ferment the idli batter , if it is not fermented fully or less time is given to ferment or required temperature for fermentation is attained , idlies may have brown or red patches.Why my idlis are not white?
The most common reason for yellow idlis is lack of fermentation. I faced this during my initial months of trying to make idlis in cold climate. If the batter ferments well, the resulting idlis will be white in color. Another possible reason could be the quality of Urad dal.How do you know if idli batter is spoiled?
If you see a thick and yellowish layer of batter on the top, it's gone bad. You shouldn't be using such batter for making Dosas or Idlis. Similarly, you can check for the smell and taste of the batter. Both these things will give you more idea about the freshness of your batter.Why is my idli batter yellow?
When the batter is fermented for more than 12 hours (usually in colder climate), its possible that the colour on the top of the batter might turn slightly yellow. Its perfectly edible. The batter needs to be discarded only when it becomes black on top as black spots means that the batter has spoilt.Why your Idli is not soft? - 10 Mistakes | Chef Sunder | Recipecheckr
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