The Ramassery idlis Popular Cuisine from Palakkad

The Palakkad town lies near the Palakkad Gap in the Western Ghats between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. It is supposed to have derived its name from the ‘pala’ trees that grow here in abundance. Some say it was called ‘Pali-ghat’ earlier (the abode of Buddhists who spoke the ‘Pali’ language) which later became the present Palakkad. Historians like K.V.Krishnaiyyar  argue that Palakkad was actually ‘Parakkad’ earlier.
Although Malayalam is the official language here, in certain areas in the border region, they speak pure Tamil while the people in ‘agrahara ‘(Brahmin abode) speak ‘Mylapore’ Tamil. Other than the valluvanadu villagers who speak pure malayalam, the rest speak a mix of tamil-malayalam lingo in places like Palakkad, Mannarkkad, Aalathur and Chittur Taluks. We may have our difference regarding the origin of its name or lingo; but there is one thing everyone would wholeheartedly agree; The mouthwatering taste of ‘Ramassery idlis’

The beautiful village of Ramassery lies next to the Elapulli village around 10 km away from the town through the Palakkad- Coimbatore highway. This village is famous all over the world for its cuisine known as the ‘Ramessery idlis’. The place where you can buy them are the ‘Sarasvati Tea stall’, the Shankar Vilas Tea stall ‘and a few other shops. It was the mudaliyar family who migrated about 200 years from Tamil Nadu that brought and spread this unique taste in Ramassery..Now only three or four families alone engage in the preparation this food item. The recipe of Ramasseri idli dates back to about one century, which again is a trade secret.
Preparation of Ramasseri idli is also special. The flour is prepared a day before. It is then poured into specially arranged clay ring and baked in a pot full of boiled water. They usually use the log of tamarind tree to light the fire. Selection of rice is very important in making delicious Ramasseri idli. Usually the varieties used are Kazhama, Thavalakannan, ponni etc. They soak the urad dal with a pinch of asafetida for around 3 hours while the rice (ponni is the common variety used) is soaked for 1 hour. Then they are grinded separately and mixed thoroughly. The mixture is kept for fermentation for another 4 hours. The idli thus made is different from the common idli we usually make. The Ramassery idlis are bigger iin size and more like the dosa but softer and tastier. It is usually eaten with a side dish made of powdered pepper, urad dal, rice powder and red chillies Just try eating it with the special hot chammanthi podi mixed with coconut oil and you would end up savoring the yummy taste for quite some time.  Another specialty of this delicacy is that you can store it for almost a week without getting spoiled and that too without refrigerating! Unfortunately, the rice they use these days are no good and they say this hampers the longevity of these awesome idlis. Once you have tasted them, I can vouch that you will never like to eat any other idli. Unfortunately, we will have to travel all the way to Ramassery to taste them as they are not prepared anywhere else.