Last month when we went to chennai for marriage I have
tasted mini idlisambar quite a few times in Marriage and in other functions and
we love it a lot and I bought the mini
idli pot from chennai..This week I made this Mini Idlis for Breakfast.
These idlis are similar to the usual idlis in batter. But these mini idlis are soaked in bowls of sambar. The
idli absorbs the flavors of the sambar and becomes almost double in size but
becoming soft and tender in the process. If you put one idli in to the mouth,
it just slides down like butter. The idli sambar combination with a spoon of
ghee on the idli makes it tastierespecially when its served hot.
Idli
For Idli:
Idli Rice- 3cups
Urud Dal-1 cup
Salt as per needed
Note: I never add cooked rice or methi seeds for idli batter.Idli softness depends upon the
more you grind, we get soft idlis. While grinding urad dalYou need to keep
adding little water now and then.
For Batter:
Wash& Soak the urud dal and par boiled rice separately
for at least 6-8 hrs.
First add the rice in your grinder and grind it well. The
batter will not be smooth but little coarse-grained. Remove and keep aside.
In the same grinder) add the lentil Grind it once again. You
need to keep adding little water now and then. You will notice that the batter
doubles up in volume when ground. When the batter is smooth remove and pour it
along with rice batter.
Add salt, mix well and set aside. The next day, after
fermenting, stir the batter well.
Put spoonfuls of the batter into greased idli moulds and
steam the idli pot for 10 to 12 minutes.
Turn off the stove.
Wait for 1 minute.
Remove the idli stand from idli cooker and set the stand
aside for a few more minutes. Use a spoon
and remove the idlies from their moulds. Serve hot with sambar.
Coconut chutney:
Ingredients:
Fresh Coconut grated - 1 cup
Green Chillies, chopped-3
Roasted Chana Dal (daliya)-1 tbsp
Tamarind - small size
Water-1/2 cup
Salt as per taste
For Tempering
Mustard Seeds-1/4 tsp
Urud dal- 1/4 tsp
curry leaves- 4
Hing- 1/4 tsp
Method:
Grind the coconut with abouve ingredients into a fine paste
in the mixer.In a small pan, heat the oil and when hot add the mustard seeds,
curry laves, dry red chillies and urad daal. Remove from the fire and add to
the coconut paste and serve.
Tiffin sambar:
Toor dal OR Moong dal
– 1cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4
tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Pumpkin – 4-6 pieces
( cube sized)
Drumstick – 1 no ( Chop into small pieces)
Vegetables ( Carrot
,Brinjal, potato)
Small onion -
a cup
Tomato – 2 nos
Tamarind- small
gooseberry size
To roast and grind
Oil- 1 tsp
Dhania / Coriander
seeds – 1 tbsp
Channa dal – 2
tbsp
Red chillies – 5
nos
Methi seeds – 1/2
tsp
Grated coconut- 3 tblsp
To temper
Mustard seeds – 1
tsp
Methi seeds 1/2
tsp
Red chillies – 1
nos (pinched)
Curry leaves
– a few
Hing /asafetida –
few pinches
Coriander leaves – to
garnish
Method:
Rinse dal Add water and pressure cook dals with turmeric
powder for 4 whistles in low medium flame.
Soak the tamarind, extract the pulp, keep it aside.
Chop the vegetables and keep it aside.. In a kadai roast all
the above said ingredients and make it a powder..
In a pan, heat
oil then add the mustard let the mustard
crackle and add the methi seeds. add pearl onions or shallots, curry leaves and asafoetida. stir and saute for 2
minutes.
Then add the
veggies and saute for 4 to 5 minutes and then
add the tomatoes, salt and continue to saute for 6 to 7 minutes
more pour water. then add the strained
tamarind pulp and stir well.
Let boil for sometime till all the vegetables are
cooked well and a sambar aroma starts to waft, If the vegetables are not
cooked, then continue to simmer till they get cooked.
Take the cooked dal and mash well and add the ground paste
to the boiling sambar and simmer the stove until the
raw aroma of the tamarind goes away..
Check the taste and add more salt if required. It will thicken. Add little water if necessary . Sambar should be neither thick nor runny,
it should be in between Boil for few minutes.ThenSwitch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serving:
Place the idlis in a wide bowl; Pour ladle of hot sambar
generously over the idlis. garnish with coriander leaves and add a dollop of
ghee on top. Enjoy!