Kottige with Tomato Rasam

Grind the Batter

• Drain the water from the urad dal and methi seeds. Grind them in a wet grinder or a high-speed blender, adding about 3/4 cup of cold water gradually, until you get a very smooth, light, and fluffy batter. This should take about 15-20 minutes in a wet grinder.
• Transfer the urad dal batter to a large pot or container, ensuring it has enough room to double in volume during fermentation.
• Next, drain the water from the soaked rice and the softened poha. Grind them together to a smooth yet slightly coarse consistency (like fine semolina). Add water as needed, about 1 to 1.25 cups, to facilitate grinding.
• Add the ground rice mixture to the same pot with the urad dal batter.

Ferment the Batter

• Add salt to the combined batter. Mix everything thoroughly with your clean hands for a couple of minutes. The warmth and natural yeast from your hands aid in better fermentation.
• The final batter consistency should be thick but pourable.
• Cover the pot with a lid (do not seal it tightly) and place it in a warm, draft-free spot to ferment for 10 to 12 hours, or overnight. In colder climates, you can place it inside a turned-off oven with the light on.

Prepare the Jackfruit Leaf Cups (Kotte)

• While the batter is fermenting or just before steaming, prepare the cups. Wipe the jackfruit leaves clean with a damp cloth.
• Take four leaves of similar size. Arrange them to form a plus (+) sign, overlapping them at the center. Ensure the shiny side of the leaves faces inwards.
• Fold the leaves upwards to create a cup or basket shape.
• Secure the corners where the leaves meet by piercing them with toothpicks or thin coconut leaf sticks. Use two pins for each of the four corners to make the cup sturdy.
• Trim any long stems. Repeat the process to make about 12 cups (kotte).

Steam the Kottige

• Once the batter has fermented well (it will have risen and appear bubbly), give it a very gentle stir. Do not overmix, as this will deflate the air pockets.
• Arrange the prepared jackfruit leaf cups in a steamer plate or tray.
• Pour the fermented batter into each cup until it is about 3/4 full.
• Steam on medium-high heat for 12 to 15 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a toothpick or knife into the center of a kottige; it should come out clean.
• Turn off the heat and let the kottige rest in the steamer for 5 minutes before removing them.

Serve

• Carefully remove the kottige from the steamer. The aroma of the jackfruit leaves will be prominent.
• Serve the kottige hot, directly in their leaf cups. They are best enjoyed with coconut chutney, sambar, or a drizzle of ghee.