iChef: Idli sambar

Idli is the staple breakfast dish of South India. There are different varieties of idlis , here I am giving the recipe of the simplest type any new cook can make without any hazzle. This is a very healthy breakfast item and very filling too. It is made by steaming a batter made with raw rice and lentils.

Now for the new cooks I will provide some tips :

I know many people who make dosas and idlis with same batter but for me the batter is different. For dosa I make the batter little thin (just thick enough to coat a ladle) and for idli I make it little thick (but flowing consistency) . For dosa I add little (a pinch) of fenugreek seeds . For both the batters adding cooked rice along while grinding will make a smooth batter. Now for the proportion - for dosa usually more rice is needed and for idlis more uradh dal is needed - that proportion will make both perfect.

Some tips for those who live abroad:

I can truly understand the feeling of those who are craving for good idlis and dosas when you reach a place out of country. The first reason behind this is the mixers available abroad. Those are juicers/blenders , not the mixer grinders that we need for making smooth batters. So we have to add water little by little while using those. And not all blenders work smooth (thats what I heard from friends here) I use the Hamilton Beach 10 speed blender with a glass jar. That has worked well for me for almost three years with no complaints. Just that it should not be loaded above half the level and the water quantity should be kept optimum always.

Again for making it less stressful for your blenders another tip what helped me was changing the ingredients slightly and even then getting perfect results.

Another tip is when you find it difficult to get the batter fermented- keep it in your oven which is preheated and switched off. or you can keep it in the washer dryer room which also has the water heater. This worked for me during winter months.

Dosa- 1 cup uradh dal with a pinch of fenugreek seeds and 3 cups enriched long grain rice (available in walmart or any grocery store) .

Soak these seperately in water overnight . When it is time to grind add one handful of cooked rice or same quantity thick poha soaked in water for half an hour. Grind the uradh dal with fenugreek seeds seperately and the rice with poha seperately to a smooth and thin batter. Add two tablespoons salt and keep it in a warm place for fermentation . The batter would rise up indicating fermentation. Dosa needs less fermentation compared to idlis. stir it well after rising and keep in fridge to stop fermentation.

Idlis: To make fluffy idlis without much hazzle.

1 cup uradh dal , 2 cups idli rawa and 1 cup cooked rice or poha soaked in water for half an hour. Soak uradh dal overnight and grind it separately to make a smooth paste without adding much water. Soak idli rawa for 30 minutes and drain off water. Grind it with the soaked poha to make a smooth paste which is not too watery but thick. Mix the two. add salt and keep for fermentation.

If you cannot avoid using idli rice : soak both 1 cup uradh dal and 2 cups idli rice overnight and grind it separately adding soaked poha or cooked rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Uradh dal- 1 cup (Soaked overnight)
Idli rice - 2 cups (soaked overnight)
Thick poha (soaked for 30 minutes)
salt as needed

How to prepare:

Step 1: Grind the uradh dal and idli ricewith poha seperately without adding much water to make a smooth thick batter. Add the salt and allow to ferment. The batter should rice very well to the top . stir it well and keep refrigerated to avoid further fermentation. The batter can be refrigerated and stored for use for almost a week.

Step 2: Heat 2 cups water in a 5L pressure cooker. The water level should be below the stand.

Step 3: Grease the idli stands and pour a small ladle full of batter into each hole in the stand. The triple holes in the stand should be alternating with the batter filled holes.I have this non stick idli stand which worked well for getting smooth idlis. It also saved effort of washing the stand as the cooked idlis do nto stick to it and also it needs just a rinse to clean it. Thanks to my friend Chetana who gifted it to me.