This is a delicious low fat dish of South India and can be enjoyed both as a snack and meal. Basically idli is a breakfast dish and is served with curried lentil or chutney or spiced powder (podi). Idly can also be eaten as a whole meal during lunch and dinner.
Idli Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 20 mts Soaking:2 hrs, Fermentation: 8 hrs
Makes approx 24 idlis
Cuisine: South Indian
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2 cups idli rava (cream of rice)
1 cup urad dhal (Black gram,minappa gullu)
salt
pinch of cooking soda (soda bi carbonate)
1 Soak urad dal for about 2 hrs. Soak the idli rava in water separately just for an hour before mixing with urad dal batter. After 2 hours drain the water from the urad dal and gring till soft and fluffy and mix with the idli rava. Mix well.
2 Place the mixture in a warm place for 8-10 hours or overnight to let the idli mixture ferment. The fermentation is slow in winter and quick during summer. The key to soft and fluffy idlis is in the fermentation process.
3 After 10 hours you will find that the mixture will rise to at least double the volume. After fermentation, add salt and pinch of soda bi carbonate and mix well. The batter is now ready to make idlis.
4 Grease idli maker plates with some oil and fill with idli batter.
5 Steam covered for about 10-12 minutes and remove each idli carefully with a spatula.
Soft and fluffy idlis are ready to eat with some hot sambhar and chutney. Left over idlis can be stored in the refrigerator. I make upma with left over idlis which tastes good and is quick to make.
Note
For those who don’t have a idli maker…you can still make idlis with a flat bottomed wide vessel. Add 2 cups of water to the vessel. Invert a round shaped cake tin on the base of vessel. Take another round shaped cake tin, lightly grease it and fill it with the idli batter leaving about one inch height for the batter to raise. Place this on top of the inverted cake tin. Steam for 8-10 minutes. Remove the tin and cut into square pieces and serve hot.
Sambar Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 45 mts
Cuisine: South Indian
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1 cup tur dal (red gram,kandi pappu)
½ cup of peeled and cubed bottle gourd
¼ cup of chopped carrots into 1†pieces
3 slit green chillis
¼ cup of radish sliced into rounds(optional)
5-6 baby onions whole
1 tomato cut into 4 pieces
1 tbsps chopped coriander leaves
10 curry leaves
1 tbsp thick tamarind paste
2 tbsps sambar powder
4-5 cups water
salt to taste
1 tsp sugar or jaggery
1/4 tsp asafoetida(hing,inguva)
1/2 tbsp oil
1 Soak the dal for 15 minutes and drain. Add 2 1/2 cups of water and pressure cook it along with vegetables except baby onions and tomatoes for about 7- 8 minutes after the pressure is reached.
2 Once its cooked add 3 cups water, baby onions, tomatoes, turmeric pwd, sugar, green chillis, curry leaves, coriander leaves and salt and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium heat.
3 Add the tamarind paste along with 1 1/4 cups of water and cook till the rawness of tamarind disappears. Approx 6-7 mts. Add the sambar pwd and cook for another 7-8 mts.
4 Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add 2 whole red chillis, curry leaves and 1/4 tsp asafoetida and remove from fire and add to sambar. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove from fire, place lid. Serve hot with idlis.
Coconut Chutney Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 15 mts
Cuisine: South Indian
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1 cup grated fresh coconut(or cut into 2†pieces)
¼ cup of dalia (split chick pea, putanaala pappu)
3 green chillis
salt
For Tempering/Tadka/Talimpu:
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ urad dal(minapapappu,black gram)
10 curry leaves (optional)
1 whole dry red chilli
1 Grind coconut, putnaala pappu and green chillis adding about 1/2 cup of water to a fine paste.
2 Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add the urad dal and slightly brown it. Finally add curry leaves, remove from fire and add to the ground coconut paste.
3 Serve with hot idlis.
