5 Times Idli Became The National Conversation: Yay or Nay?

At the risk of getting trolled, I’d like to begin by saying – I hated eating idli while growing up. It almost felt like punishment to me. However, with age came maturity and a certain level of acceptance towards this humble yet unique breakfast item. What about idli sparks such diverse and strong opinions?

Let’s look at a few instances when this humble food sparked intense reactions on the internet.

1. What’s in a shape?

Think idli and the mind automatically conjures up images of a circle, however, a Bengaluru based restaurant decided to get innovative and served an idli lollipop (for the want of a better word) along with chutney as dip and sambar as an accompaniment. It was Anand Mahindra who took to Twitter and sought an opinion on this innovation. Like everything else, this also had Twitter divided and both sides had rather strong arguments to make on the matter.

While some said serving idli on a stick is tantamount to blasphemy others revelled in the innovation displayed in making it.

Bengaluru, India’s innovation capital can’t stop its creativity from manifesting itself in the most unexpected areas… Idli on a stick—sambhar & chutney as dips…Those in favour, those against?? pic.twitter.com/zted3dQRfL
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) September 30, 2021

Idli on a stick, with sambhar and chutney. Might cause riots in south India, but it’s a good idea – kids don’t wash hands before eating these days. pic.twitter.com/FzGiXPxAOH
— Rakesh Thiyyan (@ByRakeshSimha) September 30, 2021

Call me rigid but consuming idli in any other form than its original version is just blasphemy. https://t.co/cDa6Te0nXx
— Dextro (@Dextrocardiac1) October 1, 2021

2. Most boring food in the world?

Edward Anderson, a senior lecturer and historian who works on the history and politics and India and Britain declared on Twitter that idli is the most boring thing in the world. That was all the fire that was needed to set Twitter ablaze.

At one point, Shashi Tharoor got into the fray and said that he takes pity on the poor man, for he may never know what life can be. But it is safe to say, it had been decades since all of India was so united in their anger towards the British.

Idli are the most boring things in the world. https://t.co/2RgHm6zpm4
— Edward Anderson (@edanderson101) October 6, 2020

Whoever said #Idli is boring .. I can have it 365 days straight ! pic.twitter.com/Pdn9IBOIwN
— Kavita Kumble (@kumble_kavita) October 11, 2020

Today’s Mint Metric in @livemint
A British Prof says idli is boring,
Leading to some outpouring.
His cuisine of limited choice
Was voiced in his patois,
This was simply worth ignoring.
— Bibek Debroy (@bibekdebroy) October 13, 2020

3. Inventions or abominations?

Time and again, numerous attempts have been made to infuse idli with numerous ingredients. One can only imagine what the ‘idli-innovators’ were trying to do! One user had posted about ‘Paneer stuffed Palak Idli’ while another Twitter user drew attention to an outlet where one can order for pasta idli, garlic idli and even pizza idli. Most hated the idea, but there were some brave supporters.

Your guess is as good as mine as to how each of these will taste like. But spare a thought for the versatile idli, which is able to accept all kinds of invasions, without losing its cool!

Somebody made paneer stuffed paalak idlis. Yaake? YAAKE? But why? ? pic.twitter.com/ODNeWBOpiV
— Smita Prakash (@smitaprakash) July 28, 2020

Nobody:
Absolutely nobody:
Palak Paneer and Idli: ?https://t.co/oDdLWWi2rr
— News18.com (@news18dotcom) July 29, 2020

Once came across, and I kid you not, palak paneer idli. Palak in the batter, paneer sandwiched in the middle.
No. Just no.
— Shambhavi Pathak (@shambhavipathak) July 27, 2021

4. Ultimate power breakfast?

In an interview with Rajdeep Sardesai, Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest men in the world said that his go-to breakfast is a plate of idli-sambar. In his younger days, he would frequent a café called Mysore café and enjoyed the south Indian fare, especially the idli and sambar served there. He says that he has been a frequent visitor at the café since 1974, when he was a student.

The internet went wild the idea that India’s richest man loved India’s most humble breakfast, and many a meme declaring idli to be the secret of riches were shared.

Rajdeep Sardesai-What is your fav food?
Mukesh ambani- Idli vada
R-Which is your fav restaurant?
M-Mysore cafe#FeltProud ?
— Hsk (@DrHarishSK) March 19, 2017

5. Idli goes couture?

Muthukrishnan Reddy aka Muthuswamy of the Matunga Labour Camp is the man who is called upon very frequently by the likes of Ambanis, Mittals, Ruias and even Bollywood. Known for the amazing south Indian fare that he and his team whip up, he was flown to Paris for producer Bharat Shah’s son’s wedding, where the star of the evening was not the champagne or the caviar but the humble idli.

The USP of the idlis he makes is their fluffiness. The fact that idli had reached Paris led to much amusement. Though, for the record, there were Indian restaurants in Paris already before this.

No better place to have idli nd dosa than muthuswamy…. Just couldn’t stop eating…
— Nakul Mehta (@nakulmehta) May 20, 2012

As my uncle once said emphatically, “Even if we, Indians, go to Paris we’ll search for Idli-Sambar”.
— Iron Will (@Anusha_Atluri) June 13, 2013

6. Idli solving hunger problems since forever

Hate it or love it – you just cannot ignore this ubiquitous food. Meet Kamalathal Paati, who for the last three decades has been making and servicing idlis for just Rs 1. In the wee hours of daybreak, while others in the house are sound asleep, she wakes up and heads to her kitchen. Effortlessly manoeuvring the mammoth aatukallu (stone grinder), she grinds rice and daal for the idli batter and then goes about manually preparing up to 1000 idlis in a day. Nothing has changed in the last thirty years and even now she goes about the same routine.

To say she went viral is an understatement. After news spread of her work, literally hundreds of articles and thousands of messages went out about her. In the end, she was given a lot more resources, donations and even support to get a better house! Idli to the rescue, indeed.

So in closing – yes, that fluffy steamed dish seems to tap into some deep reservoir of feeling among us Indians. And who can blame us? While I grew up hating this breakfast food, my children seem to enjoy it with Nutella, marmite, ketchup and just sometimes – the way it’s meant to be – with sambar and chutney.

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

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