When I first moved to the U.K the one kitchen appliance that I really missed was my ‘mixie’ I relied heavily on my old beat up noisy mixie or mixer as it is popularly known as, especially, when I wanted to make chutneys or grind soaked grains. In the past five years, I have tried several blenders and food processors and never really had satisfying results.
So I ended up buying many different types of blenders, right from a handheld blender worth £15 to an expensive and large, space-occupying food processor with several attachments, most of which I never use for various reasons. One of them being the pain involved in washing up – yes am lazy that way 😉
Fast forward to 2016 – When I was offered the opportunity to become an ambassador for Froothie UK and sent the new and shiny high-speed Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender to test and review, the very first thing I wanted to try was making an idli batter with homemade coconut chutney.
Perfect kitchen companion for dry and wet grinding
I am delighted to announce that the results are really very satisfying. The 6 blade assembly makes it very easy to grind grains so my soaked rice and urad dal mixture reached the right consistency in no time!
I am so relieved that I do not have to keep blending and adding more water than required to reach the right consistency for my idli and dosa batters. Even bigger relief is in knowing that freshly grated coconut can be turned into a fabulous chutney within seconds. This especially is a blessing, considering that my parents had to lug a heavy mixer all the way from India, just so that I would stop complaining about how difficult it is to grind dals or make coconut chutney. Sorry, Baba for all the trouble you had to go through to lugging that device all the way to London!
When you are looking to purchase a high investment appliance like a power blender, comparisons are a part of the process. Froothie has made it easy for you to make that decision with this table comparing the Optimum G 2.1 Platinum blender to a Vitamix – Pro series 500.
Ease of Use, sturdy jug, and intelligent overload protection best part about the Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender though is the ease with which the sturdy Eastman Tritan Copolyester BPA Free jug sits on the base – no twisting and turning and waiting to hear a click – just simple fit, plug and play. I recollect the horror I felt when the plastic edge of my food processor chipped while I struggled to fit it into the grooves of the base, only days after spending quite some money buying it, about three years ago. What a nightmare that was.
The Optimum G.21 also comes with intelligent overload protection meaning the built-in sensor automatically switches off the motor in case, over-heating is detected. This prolongs the Optimum’s operating life while pre-empting and avoiding breakdowns. If the blender should ever trip, all you have to do is simply switch it back on.
Hot soups, frozen desserts and healthier smoothies in minutes
The idea of making a bowl of soup in minutes is so appealing and especially to a person like me who is trying very hard to loose weight. Not only am I trying to loose weight by eating healthier am also helping my husband throw off excess weight faster by making better food choices. It is a boon to be able to relish fresh homemade soups every single day in less than ten minutes thanks to the heat created by friction.
Nothing beats smoothies packed with fiber and that is something you can enjoy daily, fruits go into this beauty with skin and without chopping – yes you read that right. Brilliant, isn’t it? A heavy-duty tamper tool has also been provided for improved processing and mixing.
If you need recipe inspiration your blender comes with a recipe book with 80 inspiring ideas for you try at home.
Nut butter, sauces, dips, flours – make everything at home
Throwing a party and need hummus now? I made a large bowl of smoked red pepper hummus over the weekend for a big party we threw for our dearest friends (recipe for humus coming up soon)
I am yet to make any flour in new Optimum G2.1 but that is because I have been so obsessed with soups, smoothies, and chutneys! Buckwheat flour is ready in 10 seconds flat – need to see a demo? Watch this video on the Froothie TV channel, they have a whole host of fab videos from recipes to comparisons with other brands and tests too.
The optimum now comes with a free nut milk bag too as part of the package.
Complete control at your fingertips
I am quite smitten with the latest offering from Froothie, and it’s not just the smart good looks but the 6 pre-set programs on a fabulous modern digital panel, pulse and timer settings that allow me to be in total control at the push of a button, that make this vortex blender so very appealing. It truly is the only blender you will ever need. Especially, if like me, you too have spent a lot of money on experimenting with various types of blenders. The 10-year warranty is an added bonus. You can order this fabulously stylish and highly efficient power blender via this link
Why not make the most of a great limited time offer which expires on the 30th of April 2016 and save £170 on your purchase? Get the Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender for £429 instead of £599. To ensure that the ordering is smooth and delivery process hassle-free Froothie U.K uses a next day courier service and you get your blender delivered with 24-48 hours. There’s also a 30 day trial with a money-back guarantee which includes return postage costs, but I am pretty sure that won’t be necessary!
Ok now for my recipe, I have followed the late master chef Tarla Dalal’s easy to follow recipe, for my Steamed Idli’s recipe but have adjusted the proportions to make approximately 15 idlis – the number will vary based on the size of the moulds.
Steamed Idlis
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Urad dal – split black lentils without skin
- 2 cups Par-boiled rice/ idli rice
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- methi seeds
- Salt as per taste
- Water to adjust consistency
- Low-calorie oil spray to grease the idli-moulds
- Coconut chutney to serve with the idlis
Instructions
- Soak the rice in water in a bowl and the fenugreek seeds and urad dal in another. Add enough water to allow the dal and rice to absorb the water and then some
- Soak for a minimum of 4 hours
- Drain the excess water from the rice and add in the blender – enough to get a pouring consistency
- Repeat with the urad dal and fenugreek seed mixture – this mixture will get very thick while blending so you may need to add in more water as required. This mixture gets frothy while blending which is perfectly natural
- Mix both batters and set aside in a warm place to ferment – it took my batter 24 hours to ferment. Fermentation slows down when the temperature is low
- Season the batter with salt after it has fermented
- Grease idli-moulds and spoon the batter into the moulds
- Steam the idlis in a pressure cooker or idli-steamer for about 12 minutes.
- Take care while removing the hot idlis from the pressure cooker, to avoid steam burns. Serve the steaming hot idlis with coconut chutney
- Serve as a breakfast dish for a weekend treat, actually, this is dish ideal for any meal
*I am an ambassador for Froothie and was sent a Froothie Optimum G2.1 Platinum blender for review. This post has affiliate links. No monetary compensation was offered for a positive review. As always all opinions expressed here are entirely my own and I only endorse products that I love and have experimented with.
The idlis look lovely and fluffy and you have made them with such ease in this awesome blender. It would be lovely to know how you made the coconut chutney.
Thanks Nayna, the next recipe is for the coconut chutney coming up tomorrow
The Idli’s indeed look super fluffy.. You have recited what most of us face when we first land into a foreign land.
I am just soo excited after reading your review.. .cant wait to have mine sooon.
Thanks Sandhya, yes with Indian cooking we have very different needs and uses for blenders. Glad to know you will be getting one soon too,Cheers!
I tried Idli in America as made by my chef tutor, but have not had the chance to try them again. mainly as I don’t have the right equipment to cook them. But I do have a froothie too, so maybe I can start making dosa batters in it too, rather than using gram flour which I know is cheating! Great recipe!
Thanks Ceri. I do hope you try making them with the traditional recipe I have shared, you will love the results. I always use ground rice mixture for my dosas, never used gram flour.
Well that’s a new recipe to me, I’ve never heard of idlis, but they look lovely and light and fluffy. The Optimum Froothie blender looks amazing and so powerful to be able to grind coconut so easily. Look forward to seeing what you make next.
Idlis are such a fabulous breakfast idea and so very wholesome. I miss all the fab Udipi restaurants in India, where they serve idli for breakfast with steaming hot sambar and three types of chutneys!The coconut grinding is a boon and I loved the texture of my chutney.
Fab review Manjiri. It sounds as though you are pleased with your new blender. It looks to be a very sleek machine. As for your idles, they sound gorgeous. Did you grate the coconut before adding it to the blender or did you just bung chunks of it in?
Thanks Choclette, I am really very happy with my new Froothie blender, it is quite something and so efficient. I buy packets of frozen grated white coconut and then add them to the blender, that’s how I made my coconut chutney to go with the idlis. Will be sharing my detailed coconut chutney recipe soon.
This blender looks great! And looks like you’re really happy with it too. I have a Blendtec which (from your description) seems similar to the Optimum blender. Maybe you could compare those two when you get a chance? Looking forward to more recipes using the blender 🙂
Thanks Aditi, I use my Optimum G2.1 everyday! Loads more recipes coming up!
I own a Vitamix blender & can ouch it’s efficiency. The only problem is when making idli or dosa batters. They start cooking after sometime when blending. Does the same thing happen with Optimum blenders as well? Especially when they have motor speeds from 1500 to 2200? Also heard that masticating juicers & blenders are much more healthier than these blenders.
The reason Optimum blenders are so good is because I can make dosa and idli batters at home without having to worry about them cooking in the blender. This is because the GRIND function does not heat up the internal bowl to a temp – its does the grinding and faster as it has a 6 blade assembly. The only quick heating is for the SOUP function when it is required. That is why even frozen fruit and ice can be crushed to end up with a fab smoothie – all chilled !
I don’t own a juicer and have never really had one, but my understanding is that blenders are better as they grind the whole food up so you are getting the all important fibre as well as the juice. Hope that helps!