Sunday, March 15, 2015

Mini Idli Sambar

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!