Idli is one of the most popular south Indian recipes all over the country. Extremely scrumptious, light and nutritious, Idli is an ideal breakfast item (Though, most eat idlis for lunch or dinner). Made of rice and Urad Daal, making Idli is not difficult at all, however, its preparation takes a little time as the batter for Idli requires fermentation. As it is a steamed food with minimum oil and no spices, it is an ideal food item for everybody. It is one of the most regularly made items in any Malayalee home. Idli is served hot along with sambhar and Nariyal chutney (Coconut chutney).

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Ingredients:

• 3 Tomato chopped (big and juicy ones)
• 1 Cup Toor daal
• 2 Green Chillies finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 Cup Vegetables, mix of Carrot, Potatoes, Bottle Gourd (lauki)

For the Sambar seasoning:

• 1 tsp Cumin (Zeera)
• 2 Onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp Sambar Masala
• 1/2 tsp Mustard
• 2 Curry leaves
• 2 Red Chilli (Sabut)
• 3 tsp Oil
• 1/2 Degi Mirch tsp
• 1/2 cup Tamarind (Imli Pulp)
• Hing just a pinch

Ingredients For Idli:

• 1 cup Urad Dal (split black lentils)
• 3 cups Boiled Rice
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek (methi) Seeds
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil or any other refined oil for greasing

Method For Sambar:

Pressure cook toor dal by adding 4 cup water ,green chilli, turmeric powder, salt, hing, vegetables, tomato, for 5 whistles. Mash it well and keep it ready.

Heat oil in a pan/kadai , add zeera, mustard , dry red chilli, curry leaves, and onions. Fry onion for another 3 mins, add sambar masala, salt , 1/2 tsp degi mirch than add the tamarind pulp into it. Cook for another 2 mins.

Mix this fry onion masala into pressure cooker with toor daal mixture and vegetables.

Keep it in medium flame and boil until the raw flavor of the tamarind goes. The consistency of this sambar should neither be thick nor thin, so adjust water accordingly.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with idli and green mint chutney or Coconut chutney.

Method For Idli:

Soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together in enough water for 3 hours and drain.

Blend the urad dal and fenugreek seeds together in a mixer till smooth and frothy (add water little by little as required ) remove and keep aside.

Blend the rice in a mixer till smooth. Remove and keep aside.

Combine the urad dal paste and rice paste together in a bowl and cover and keep aside to ferment overnight. Once the batter is fermented add salt to the batter and mix well.

Put spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds and steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter to make more idlis.