我有两位从印度南部－钦奈来的同事。个子高挑的名叫孙达莉，个子娇小的则为诗莉。两位身材都蛮丰盈，而且都已为人母。因此，当我在怀孕期间和初为人母时，不时都会向她俩讨教妈妈经。
I have two colleagues from Chennai, Southern part of India. The taller is Sundari and the petite is Sree. Both of them are quiet voluptuous and they are already a mother as well. Therefore, when I was pregnant and just be a mother, I used to ask for their advices regarding the motherhood.
初到马来西亚，孙达莉和诗莉无法适应当地的食物，再加上她俩是纯素食者，这更增加了她们在办公室附近找寻到适合她俩食物的难度。因为如此，孙达莉和诗莉平时都会自备自己的早餐。午餐方面，若她们没有自备，她们就自行到办公室楼下的美食中心解决。美食中心里的一裆印度料理也是她俩仅有的选择。
When Sundari and Sree first arrived in Malaysia, they have the trouble to adapt to the local food. Both of them are pure vegetarian. This adds the difficulty for them to look for suitable food around the office area. Subsequently, they prefer to prepare their own breakfast and consume at the office. Normally, they will settle their lunch at the office downstairs food centre where there is an Indian food stall available. This Indian food stall is the only option for them.
在一次偶然的交谈中，我无意和孙达莉和诗莉聊到她们从家里带来的早餐，当时她俩也正享用着早餐，因此她俩非常热心也非常乐意地与我分享她俩的早餐，更要我品尝她俩亲自烹煮的印度料理。当我将一小撮看似饭团的料理放进嘴里时，只觉得那饭团的口感很细腻，很特别。我顿时对那饭团充满好奇和兴趣，于是，立刻询问她俩这个饭团的料理名称以及用什么材料做成的。
In a casual conversation, we were talking about the breakfast that Sundari and Sree that brought from home. At t the same time, they were just having their breakfast, so both of them are very enthusiastic and very happy to share their breakfast with me. They wanted me to taste the Indian food which was prepared personally by them. When I put a handful of rice into my mouth, I felt the rice texture is so special and fine. I was very curious and very interested on the rice, so I asked them what the name of the cuisine is and the ingredient of the rice made from.
孙达莉告诉我，那饭团的名称为“一地利饭”，也是印度常见的料理。孙达莉又说，“一地利饭”的营养很好，所以她很喜欢烹煮这道料理给她的儿子吃。诗莉则说，印度的当地人生病时，也会烹煮“一地利饭”做为生病时食用的佳肴。听了她俩娓娓道来“一地利饭”的好处，我心中暗下决定，要学会烹煮“一地利饭”，因为我希望小祥安也有机会品尝到由妈妈烹煮给他吃的“一地利饭“。
Sundari told me the name of the rice is Idli rice and it is a very common cuisine in their country. According to Sundari, the nutrition of this Idli Rice is very good, thus, she likes to prepare this cuisine for her son to eat. Sree said when the people in their country sick; they like to steam the Idli Rice as their main dish too. After realized the Idli Rice is good for health, I have made a decision that I must learn how to cook the Idli Rice, so that my Little Ethan will have the opportunity to enjoy the Idli Rice cooked by his mother.
话虽如此，由于心中有所顾虑，这个烹饪计划“拖”到孙达莉完成了她在马来西亚的工作，并回去美国和她的丈夫团聚了，我还没有任何行动。
However, due to certain reasons, I do not start my cooking plan even Sundari got her jobs done in Malaysia, and went back together with her son to U.S.A to unite with her husband.
直到有一个早晨，我又有幸品尝到诗莉亲自烹煮的“一地利饭”。这一天，我觉得诗莉的“一地利饭”特别好吃。诗莉的“一地利饭”的美味提醒了我之前想学好这道料理的心愿。于是，我重新打开之前向诗莉索取“一地利饭”的食谱。隔了一星期后，就和凯伦结伴到吉隆坡的“小印度”的店面菜市购买材料。
Till one morning, I was fortune enough to taste the Idli Rice cooked by Sree. Don’t know why, I felt her Idli Rice for today was extremely nice. The taste of her Idli Rice reminded me of my Idli Rice cooking plan for my Little Ethan. Thus, I referred back to the recipe provided by Sree. After one week, with Karen’s companion, we went to Kuala Lumpur, Brickfield Little Indian to purchase all the ingredients.
当天，我依照诗莉给的食谱，先把“一地利饭和扁豆浸在水中约四小时。然后，在致求的协助下将材料打成细末后，才将细末搅拌在一起。之后，就让那搅均了的细末隔夜放在饭桌上。可是，第二天早上，蒸出来的结果却和之前品尝到的“一地利饭”有非常大的差别。心想，问题到底出现在哪里呢？在星期一的清早抵达办公室见到诗莉时，在我还未开口向她讨教，诗莉比我还紧张，就问我的“一地利饭”做的如何。
I followed the recipe; soak the Idli Rice and the Urad Dal in the water for four hours. Then, with the help of Chee Chew, we blended both the ingredients into fine paste and mixed both the paste well. After that, I just covered the batter and kept it overnight. The next morning, I had steamed the Idly Rice with Idli mould, but the taste of my Idli Rice was totally different from the Idly Rice that Sree gave me tried before. I was wondering, where did the problem occur in the end? Early Monday morning, when I arrived at office, Sree even more nervous than me, that she asked how my making of Idli Rice before I asked for her advice about the taste of my Idli Rice.
或许诗莉太高估我的能力了，还是她以为我可能懂，所以她都遗漏了几个重要的细节给我。原来我购买的扁豆，必须是完整的，而非碎的扁豆。完整的扁豆必须打成非常细腻的细末才能真正发挥发酵的功能。另外，水分也必须调配直一定的分量，蒸出来的“一地利饭”才会够软。
Perhaps Sree overestimated my ability or she thought I might know, so she had missed few important details to me. I should not use the broken Urad Dal. The broken Urad Dal might not be able guarantee the fermentation was happening. With the full Urad Dal blended into very fine paste then only it will play the function of fermentation. Aside of that, the allocation of water also must be a certain weight straight, and then the Idly Rice will be very fine and soft.
后来，我又尝试做了“一地利饭”。这次，我的“一地利饭”虽然比上一次软了好多，可是依然缺乏像诗莉上次请我吃的“一地利饭”那样细腻的口感。再向诗莉请教时，才知道，原来气候也是很重要的因素。天气太冷，扁豆是需要更长的时间来发酵的；天气热的话，若扁豆发酵的很好，可能整碗搅均了的材料还会溢满出来，那蒸出来的“一地利饭”的口感会更加的细腻柔软。
Later, I had tried to do the Idli Rice again. This time, my Idli Rice was softer than last time, but its texture is still lack of the fineness as the Idli Rice I tasted before. When I asked the advice from Sree, then I knew that actually the weather is also a very important in the making of Idli Rice. If the weather is too cold, the Urad Dal might take longer time to ferment; if the weather is hot, the Urad Dal will ferment very well. If the fermented batter overflows from the bowl, then the Idly Rice will be taste very nice and fine.
所以，我说，烹饪何尝不也是科学吗？
So, I said, cooking is also science, isn’t it?
“一地利饭”的模型器皿
Idli Rice Mould
“一地利饭”搭配有点酸甜辣的番茄洋葱酱
Idli Rice eat together with the Tomato Onion Paste
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