"Mudo (Moode)/ Idly Batter Steamed in Foil Packets" ... what do you do, when you don't get the outer leaf mudo coverings and you just crave to eat them ???? ... Oh! yes, you just go ahead and find other ways to prepare them ... where there is a will, there definitely is there a way and I strongly believe in it ....
** The outer cover for preparation of Mudo/ Moode (as called in Konkani) a long cylindrical shaped Idly prepared in and around Mangalore, are prepared using screw pine leaves. These leaves grow like long strips which are cut and then weaved into cylinder shape using coconut leaves retrieved sarnivira kaddi/ sticks to pin up to stay in place.
** The mudo’s covers are prepared and readily available in the market in my hometown ie Mangalore. They usually vary in the size of length from 6 to 12 inches while the width is usually maintained between 2-4 inches. if you use search option of You Tube you will find them and will also be able to understand the procedure of preparing the same.
** During a time when people are going in for plastic or other usage of materials which is hazardous when disposed these are tried and tested one for generations which lost their way to modernization. Luckily, these are still available in some towns and I really hope that they do not get vanished over time, in fact I hope they get promoted to all towns.
** Coming to Mudo covers these are not available in cities or for that matter in Mumbai. Though during Krishna Janmashtami, Mangalore Stores a store that sells most of the things from in around Mangalore city does bring them over and sell it. But over last decade they too have stopped it as they get damaged during transport and there are also no takers now.
** What I am trying to say here is in the whole process, we lose out on relishing those items we grew up having often and at times yearn to have them. I have hardly eaten it 3-4 times over 3 decades and when my friends prepare and post mudo in my food group it makes me more nostalgic and the desire to have them surface up… Sigh.
** 2020 and now 2021 have been the most tiring years for all and when the pandemic hit around march in 2020 we were not all prepared for this sudden attack. Many of my friends overseas suggested that I stock up on biscuits and other groceries that would remain good for an year as they had experience of food shortage during coming months.
** Finally these biscuit packets that come in long, roll shapes came to my rescue which I had preserved well knowing that I would come up with some brilliant idea to use them. I prepared Mudo with Idly batter using them as the mold and trust me they not only looked like mudos but turned out perfectly steamed as them too.
** The texture of mudo within too turned out as it would if steamed using those leaf molds, soft and spongy that I would definitely call them replica or should I say first cousin of our very own amchi mudos. Yes, I admit they are not the original mudo and I would definitely love it much more if they begin to get sold in Mumbai but for now I am over the moon.
** I am happy coz. of two things first is the I did get the satisfaction of eating mudos and the second is the recycling of these otherwise waste foil packets. We just throw them away, when we can recycle them at least once. I had carefully kept them assuming I could roll and place roti within them while travelling but I am glad I used them in more useful way.
** For those of you who are thinking it is not safe, I do not think so, we do use aluminium foils for baking, so in my view they are not health hazardous. Off course you can’t use them again and again, just once. I will try out muddo and some more items I do have in my mind, till then if you feel comfortable try it out and enjoy these tube shaped Idlies.
** I have shared two collages full of pics here, one is that of my own using the foil biscuit packet in which I prepared the mudo/ idly, the other is of the traditional method of using pine screw leafs. I have also included a picture of Mudo/ Idly steamed and done which belongs to my friend Vidya Shenoy, Check them all out for yourself.
** I am not sharing in the recipe of the batter of Mudo/ Idly prepared using Urad Dal and Rava or that of Coconut Chutney and Ambe Upkari as I have done so before, I have made this post only to show that sometimes we need to go one step ahead and be innovative when things are otherwise not available, there is always a way out most of the time.
** If you want the recipe of the items shared in the main picture, I am sharing links below, you may check them out in leisure and try them, you can use any type of molds to steam the Idly with this batter as you can check out through various ones used elsewhere in my Blog. So, Please go ahead and enjoy your life with good food, family and friends.
** The batter used is of Urad dal and Rava, which you can follow if required by going through the link given below ….
** You can prepare these mudos with any Idly batter, so sharing a common link to all the posts in my Blog, just browse through in leisure and try them out too …
** If you have access to Jackfruit tree, you can use the leaves of the same to prepare molds too, you can check them out for detailed method following the 2 links given below ….
** You can serve any chutney desired or liked in your home, there are many shared in the blog, once again sharing a common link which includes the one shared in the picture too …..
** Ambe Upkari is prepared using normal local small sized ripe mangoes, which is a sweet- spicy dish with inclusion of jaggery and is one of the most famous dish from Konkani Saraswat Cuisine prepared almost on daily to weekly basis, sharing link below ….
** The other dish ie Green Peas- Yam Fenugreek flavored Curry (Gashi) that I served along with the Mudo is a delicious curry that can be served with rice too, check out link below …
** Disclaimer : The pictures in the collage showing the screw pine leaves and the mudo/ mold prepared out of the same are from Google and the credit goes out to them. The one which shows the steamed final product in the screw pine leaf mold belongs to my friend Vidya Shenoy and the picture credit goes to her. Rest of the pictures using the foil packets belong exclusively to me.
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Thanks.