Products

Udhaiyam Idly Rice is the short-grain parboiled rice used specifically for idli batter. Parboiling changes how the starch behaves, and that is why a batter ground from idly rice ferments well and steams into a soft, white idli, where the same recipe with ordinary raw rice gives a flatter, denser result.

Best for

• Idli batter, ground with whole urad dal
• Dosa and uthappam batter
• Plain steamed rice, where a firmer grain is wanted

How to cook it

For batter, soak four parts idly rice and one part urad dal separately for four to six hours, adding a teaspoon of fenugreek to the dal. Grind the dal first with cold water until light and airy, then the rice to a slightly grainy paste, and combine them by hand. Add salt, cover, and leave in a warm place for eight to twelve hours until risen. Steam idlis for ten to twelve minutes in greased plates.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Pack of 2 × Udhaiyam Idly Rice 1kg.

Udhaiyam Jaggery Powder is unrefined cane sugar in granulated form, so it measures and dissolves like sugar instead of needing to be chipped off a solid block. The colour runs from gold to dark brown and the taste is deeper and more caramel-like than white sugar, which is why it is used where that flavour is wanted rather than simply for sweetness.

Best for

• Payasam, kheer and chakkarai pongal
• Sweets such as ladoo, halwa and adhirasam
• Balancing sourness in sambar, rasam and tamarind gravies

How to cook it

Dissolve it in a little hot water and strain before adding it to milk-based sweets, as jaggery can carry fine sediment and will split hot milk if added dry. Add it at the end of cooking rather than the start, and take the pot off the boil first. In savoury cooking a small piece stirred into a tamarind gravy rounds off the sourness without making the dish sweet.

Pack and storage

1kg jar. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. Jaggery draws moisture from the air, so keep the jar closed or the powder will cake.

Udhaiyam Maida is refined wheat flour, milled fine and with the bran removed, so it is soft, white and low in the coarse particles that give atta its character. It makes the stretchy, soft dough that Indian fried breads and restaurant-style breads need, and it behaves like a plain all-purpose flour in baking.

Best for

• Bhatura, naan and poori
• Samosa and kachori pastry
• Cakes, biscuits and general baking

How to cook it

Maida takes less water than atta, so add it gradually. For bhatura or naan, make a soft dough with curd and a raising agent and rest it somewhere warm for two hours before shaping. For samosa pastry, work oil or ghee into the flour first until it holds its shape when pressed, then bring it together with cold water into a stiff dough and rest it thirty minutes, which is what gives a crisp, blistered shell rather than a soft one.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Mini Soya Chunks are the small-format textured soya pieces, granule-sized rather than the large chunks. Because they are small they rehydrate in minutes and take on the flavour of a gravy more readily, and they fold into a dish where a full-size chunk would sit awkwardly.

Best for

• Soya keema and stuffed paratha filling
• Curries, pulao and biryani
• Stir-fries, cutlets and kebabs

How to cook it

Pour boiling salted water over the chunks and leave them for eight to ten minutes until soft, then drain and, importantly, squeeze them out firmly between your palms; the water they hold is what otherwise dilutes the whole dish. Some cooks rinse and squeeze twice. Add them once the masala base is fried and the oil has separated, so they absorb the flavour rather than dampening it, and cook a further five minutes.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Mixed Lentils in the 1kg pack is a blend of several dals for cooking as one. The point of a mixed dal is the texture: the softer lentils break down and thicken the pot while the firmer ones keep their shape, which gives a result no single dal manages on its own.

Best for

• Mixed dal and panchmel-style dal
• Dal khichdi
• Hearty lentil soups

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear, then soak for an hour or more. Soaking is worth the time with a mix, since the lentils in it soften at different speeds and an unsoaked batch finishes with some still firm. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part lentils for four or five whistles and let the pressure fall naturally. Loosen with hot water to the consistency you want, salt at the end, and pour over a tempering of cumin, garlic and dried chilli fried in ghee.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Mixed Lentils is a blend of several dals in one pack, for the mixed dal that many households cook when no single lentil is quite what they want. Cooked together the different lentils give a dal with more body than a single-pulse one: some break down and thicken the pot while others stay whole.

Best for

• Mixed dal, panchmel-style
• Dal khichdi
• Thick lentil soups and stews

How to cook it

Rinse several times until the water runs clear and soak for at least an hour, which matters more here than with a single dal because the lentils in the mix cook at different rates and soaking evens them out. Pressure cook with three parts water to one part lentils for four or five whistles, then let the pressure drop by itself. Mash lightly against the side of the pot, adjust the consistency with hot water, and finish with a tempering of cumin, garlic, dried chilli and ghee.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container.

Udhaiyam Mung Chilka is split green gram with the skin on, providing a richer flavour and more fibre than skinless mung dal. Ideal for nutritious dals, khichdi and Bengali moong preparations.

• Split green gram with skin for added nutrition
• Richer flavour than skinless split mung
  

Udhaiyam Mung Dal is split green gram with the skin removed, leaving small flat yellow grains. It cooks faster than almost any other dal, needs no soaking, and breaks down into a smooth pale-gold purée with a mild, clean flavour that never fights the tempering.

Best for

• Khichdi and ven pongal
• Everyday yellow dal and light broths
• Kosambari, payasam and sweet dishes

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Pressure cook one cup with two and a half to three cups of water for three whistles, or simmer it uncovered for about twenty-five minutes, skimming the foam that rises early on. For a fuller, nuttier flavour, dry-roast the dal in a pan until it smells toasty before cooking — worth doing for pongal. Temper at the end with ghee, cumin, asafoetida and green chilli.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Mung Dal is split green gram with the skin removed, leaving small flat yellow grains. It cooks faster than almost any other dal, needs no soaking, and breaks down into a smooth pale-gold purée with a mild, clean flavour that never fights the tempering. This is the 2kg bag for kitchens that cook dal most days.

Best for

• Khichdi and ven pongal
• Everyday yellow dal and light broths
• Kosambari, payasam and sweet dishes

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Pressure cook one cup with two and a half to three cups of water for three whistles, or simmer it uncovered for about twenty-five minutes, skimming the foam that rises early on. For a fuller, nuttier flavour, dry-roast the dal in a pan until it smells toasty before cooking — worth doing for pongal. Temper at the end with ghee, cumin, asafoetida and green chilli.

Pack and storage

2kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are premium split red lentils that cook quickly to a smooth, velvety consistency. Used worldwide in soups, stews and traditional Indian dal dishes.

• Quick-cooking split red lentils
• Perfect for dal, soups, stews and curries
  

Udhaiyam Red Lentils (Masoor Dal) are premium split red lentils that cook quickly to a smooth, velvety consistency. Used worldwide in soups, stews and traditional Indian dal dishes.

• Quick-cooking split red lentils
• Perfect for dal, soups, stews and curries
  

Udhaiyam Roasted Chana, also called daria or pottukadalai, is pre-roasted split chickpeas that go into a dish exactly as they come out of the pack. The 1kg size suits a kitchen that makes chutney often, since a spoonful goes into almost every batch of South Indian coconut chutney.

Best for

• Coconut and tomato chutney for idli, dosa and vada
• Ladoo and other sweets, once ground to flour
• Sundal, snack mixes and plain snacking

How to cook it

Nothing needs cooking or soaking. In chutney, grind a couple of tablespoons along with the coconut and chilli, adding water slowly, because the chana keeps absorbing and a chutney that looks right in the jar will be too thick ten minutes later. Ground fine and sieved, it becomes the flour for ladoo. Whole, it adds crunch to a mixture or a salad.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container so they stay crisp.

Udhaiyam Roasted Chana, sold as daria or pottukadalai, is split chickpeas that have already been roasted, so they need no cooking at all. They are dry, crisp and mild, and in South Indian cooking they do a job no other ingredient does: ground into chutney, they thicken it without water and without cooking.

Best for

• Coconut chutney for idli and dosa
• Ladoo and sweets, ground to flour
• Snack mixtures, sundal and eating plain by the handful

How to cook it

For chutney, grind two tablespoons with coconut, green chilli and a little water; add it a spoon at a time, as it thickens quickly and is hard to loosen again without thinning the flavour. For ladoo, grind it to a fine flour first and sieve out the coarse bits. It needs no roasting or soaking, so it can go straight into a mixture or on top of a dish for crunch.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening, in an airtight container so they stay crisp.

Udhaiyam Roasted Rava is a premium pre-roasted semolina made from durum wheat, ideal for making idli, upma, rava dosa and halwa. Pre-roasting ensures a nutty aroma and prevents lumping during cooking.

• Pre-roasted for enhanced nutty flavour
• Perfect for upma, rava idli, rava dosa and sweets
  

Udhaiyam Soya Chunks are dried textured soya pieces that swell to around three times their size once soaked, turning spongy and firm with a bite close to minced meat. They carry almost no flavour of their own, which is the point — they take on whatever masala you cook them in.

Best for

• Soya chunk curry and kurma
• Biryani and pulao in place of meat
• Dry stir-fries, kebabs and keema-style fillings

How to cook it

Drop the chunks into boiling salted water, take the pan off the heat and leave them five to ten minutes until soft all the way through. Drain, rinse under cold water and squeeze each one firmly — most of the raw, beany smell leaves with that water, so rinse and squeeze twice if you notice it. Squeeze them properly dry before frying, then brown them in oil alongside the onions so they pick up colour before the gravy goes in.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Special Long Appalam is the Tamil Nadu papad, made from urad dal flour and rolled into the longer, narrower shape the name refers to. It comes uncooked and hard, and it puffs and crisps in seconds in hot oil. Appalam is salty and plain enough to sit beside any meal without competing with it.

Best for

• Rice and sambar, or rice and rasam
• A South Indian thali or sadya
• Crumbling over curd rice

How to cook it

To fry, heat oil until a small piece sizzles immediately, slide one appalam in, and press it flat with a slotted spoon; it will puff and turn pale in three or four seconds. Lift it out before it colours, because an appalam that has gone brown has gone bitter. To roast instead, hold it over an open flame with tongs, turning constantly, until it blisters all over. Drain fried ones on paper and serve straight away, as they soften as they sit.

Pack and storage

100g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening. They are brittle, so keep the pack somewhere it will not be crushed.

Udhaiyam Tamarind Seedless is pressed tamarind pulp with the seeds and most of the fibre already taken out, so it goes straight into hot water without the picking-over that whole tamarind needs. It is sharply sour and sticky, and it is what gives sambar, rasam and kuzhambu their backbone.

Best for

• Sambar, rasam and vatha kuzhambu
• Pulihora and tamarind rice
• Chutneys, sauces and chaat

How to cook it

Break off a piece about the size of a small lime for a pot serving four, soak it in a cup of hot water for fifteen to twenty minutes, then squeeze it out with your fingers and strain the liquid, discarding the fibre left behind. Use that extract rather than adding the block to the pot. Let it boil for a few minutes before the dal goes in, as raw tamarind tastes flat. Add it in stages and taste as you go.

Pack and storage

200g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening; keep it wrapped, as tamarind dries out and hardens in open air.

Udhaiyam Toor Dal is split pigeon pea — tuvar or arhar dal — the lentil that sambar is built on and the everyday dal in most South Indian kitchens. It cooks down soft and golden with a mild, faintly sweet flavour.

Best for

• Sambar
• Dal tadka, dal fry and rasam
• Kootu and poriyal, where a little dal thickens the dish

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times until the water runs clear. Pressure cook with about 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 3 to 4 whistles, or simmer 35 to 45 minutes until it breaks down when pressed. Finish with mustard seeds, cumin, dried chilli and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee.

Pack and storage

1 kg. Store in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.

Udhaiyam Toor Dal in the 2 kg pack — split pigeon pea, the base of sambar and the everyday dal across South India. Mild, faintly sweet, and it cooks down to a smooth golden consistency.

The 2 kg size suits a household cooking dal several times a week.

Best for

• Sambar
• Dal tadka, dal fry and rasam
• Kootu, and anywhere a little dal is used to thicken

How to cook it

Rinse until the water runs clear. Pressure cook with roughly 3 parts water to 1 part dal for 3 to 4 whistles, or simmer for 35 to 45 minutes. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin, dried chilli and curry leaves to finish.

Pack and storage

2 kg. Keep in a cool, dry place in a sealed container.

Udhaiyam Urid Chilka is split black gram with the skin (chilka) intact, offering a slightly coarser texture and higher fibre content. Used in dals, stuffed parathas and regional preparations across India.

• Split black gram with skin for extra fibre
• Excellent for stuffed parathas and regional dals
• 
  

Udhaiyam Urid Chilka is split black gram with the black skin left on, so the grains are cream-coloured and flecked with dark husk. It holds its shape better than skinned urid and cooks to a creamy dal with a fuller, earthier flavour and a slight bite from the skin.

Best for

• Everyday urad dal tempered with cumin and garlic
• Punjabi-style dal with tomato and ginger
• Rustic dosa and vada batter where you want the flecks

How to cook it

Rinse two or three times, then soak thirty minutes to an hour to soften the skins. Pressure cook one cup with three cups of water for four to five whistles and let the pressure drop on its own — the grains should mash easily against the side of the pan. Finish with a tempering of ghee, cumin, dried red chilli, garlic and asafoetida poured over the top, then simmer a few minutes more so it thickens.

Pack and storage

500g pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.

Udhaiyam Urid Dal Split 1kg is split black gram with the skin removed, so the grains are ivory-white and cook down into a thick, sticky paste rather than staying separate. That stickiness is exactly what gives idli and dosa batter its body and what makes vada hold their shape in the oil.

Best for

• Idli and dosa batter, ground with parboiled rice
• Medu vada and ulundu vadai
• Papad dough and thick South Indian dal

How to cook it

For batter, rinse until the water runs clear and soak four to six hours with a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds. Grind with very little water, adding it a splash at a time, until the paste is smooth and light and has roughly doubled in volume. Combine with soaked parboiled rice at about one part urid to three parts rice, salt it, and leave it overnight in a warm spot to ferment. Cooked as dal, one cup takes three to four whistles in a pressure cooker with three cups of water.

Pack and storage

1kg pack. Store in a cool, dry place, sealed after opening.