Thanjore (Tamil Nadu), Dec 5 : Hundreds of housewives participated here in an idli making competition organised by a crop processing technology unit for their research purpose.

''Idli'' is a savory cake popular throughout South India, usually two to three inches in diameter and is made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils, rice and fenugreek.

The aim of the research was to standardise Indian indigenous food for worldwide marketing.

The participants brought the flour on their own and prepared idlis before the panel of judges at the Indian Institute for Crop Processing Technology (IICPT).

To make the research more interesting, prizes were also announced.

The participants took part enthusiastically in the research to prepare good idlis so that it can be popularised on international basis.

"Idli is an essential food item for us therefore we are doing a research on it. We would like to take idli on an international level. We have to prepare good idlis and so we will have to mix the exact ingredients needed and only then can we have good and quality idlis," said Kavita, a participant.

Meanwhile, the Joint Secretary of IICPT Ajith Kumar said that the Indian food like Idlis needs to be standardised, so that it can be sold anywhere in the country with the same taste, size and shape.

"In case of Indian food, we have never done any standardisation. Like if you take the case of idli, we have people who prepare idli very well but all the people prepare it in different ways. There is no standard method or any standard sort of laid down that idli should be like this. There is no standard as far as ingredients are concerned. Imagine of the making process of idli, the ingredients, all these are standardised, and then idli can be produced in a very big scale anywhere in the country. It can be exported; it can be sold in the Indian market. It will have the same taste, same size and same shape everywhere," he said.

This South Indian delicacy, because of its oil-free and healthy way of preparation, is gaining popularity in many other countries as well. (ANI)