IDLI SAMBAR

Idli sambar is an unbeatable combo. I love to eat idli with both sambar as well as the coconut chutney. There are so many memories with the idli sambar, some are funny too.  My Aai used to make idlis before my marriage so I knew how to make them, but did not have that much knowledge that how to make spongy idlis. I still remember the taste of my mom’s idlis.  I am a huge fan of idli sambar.  

In the early years of my marriage, when I made them, they were too hard to cut . But still my hubby used to eat them because he did not want to hurt me. But now a days I had learnt and developed my techniques. So, now I make much much better and spongy ones. Today, we get the ready batter for idli, but I make my own idli batter.

📌📌Watch the video recipe here 📌📌

INGREDIENTS:

For IDLI:

4 Cups Rice

2 Cups Urad Dal [split, skinned black gram]

1 teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds / Methi Seeds

1/ 2 Cup Poha

Salt Water

For SAMBAR:

2 Cups Toor Dal [ Arhar Dal ]

1/2 Cup Chopped Potato

½ Cup Cauliflower

2 Brinjal  

1 Big Sized Tomato   

½ Cup Carrot [ ½ inch sized cut ]

Curry Leaves

1 Tbsp Tamarind

1 tbsp Jaggary

1 Sliced Onion  

5-6 Cloves Garlic  

½ Inch Ginger [Adrak]

Cumin –Mustard Seeds 

Oil

Turmeric

Red Chilli Powder

Salt

Sambar Masala

Asafoetida 

For COCONUT CHUTNEY:

1 Coconut , scrapped and cut into small pieces  

½ Cup Roasted Peanuts   

½ Roasted Chana Dal

5-6 Curry Leaves

4-5 Green Chiilis

Salt as per taste

1 tablespoon Sugar  

1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

Asafoetida a Pinchful

1 tablespoon Oil

Water as needed

METHOD: 

For IDLI: 

STEP 1 – You have to soak the dal with methi seeds and rice separately for 8-10 hours.

STEP 2 – After 8-10 hours, wash, soa poha for 10-15 minutes.

 STEP 3 - After that, grind them in a mixer grinder finely. Reserve the water from dal to use while grinding.

STEP 4 - Add a little water we reserved while grinding .

STEP 4 – Mix all three batters and whisk it with hands in one direction for about 5 minutes.

STEP 5 - Now cover it with a plate and keep this again for 5-6 hours to ferment.

STEP 6 – After fermentation, 

Add give it a nice mix. Then add salt to the batter as per your taste and mix it well.

STEP 7 – Now prepare the idli steamer. Add some water and let it come to boil.

STEP 8 - Grease the idli steamer plates with oil and put a spoonful of batter in each compartment in the idli steamer.

STEP 9 - Steam the idlis for approximately 20 minutes.

STEP 10 - Now cool it for 5 minutes and then remove the hot, soft and smooth idlis

Remove all the idlis from idli plate and keep them aside. Hot, spongy and fluffy idlis are ready to serve.

Serve them hot with spicy pipping hot sambar and coconut chutney.

For SAMBAR:

STEP 1 – Pressure cook the toor dal with a pinch of asafoetida in it for three whistles.

STEP 2 – Cool it and mash it well.

STEP 3 – Put a pan on heat with oil. Crackle the cumin-mustard seeds, add asafoetida and curry leaves immediately.

STEP 4 – Now add the veggies and sauté for 1 minute. Just put the veggies first which takes more time to cook and then the other.

STEP 5 – Now add the spices in it and mix well. After spices add the tamarind and jaggary to it and again mix well.

STEP 6 – Add the mashed dal ,mix and add sufficient water . Sambar consistency should not be very thick. Let Cook the veggies and you sambar is ready.

For CHUTNEY:

STEP 1 - Add all the ingredients of chutney in a chutney pot of your mixer and grind it well .Add a little water while grinding.

STEP 2 – Remove it in a small bowl and add water to make desired consistency of the chutney.

STEP 3 – Make a tempering with oil, cumin seeds asafoetida and curry leaves .Add this to your chutney.

STEP 4 - Now your chutney, idlis and sambar is ready to serve.  

                 Serve it immediately and enjoy.