Idli

Soft Idli with Sambar and Coconut Chutney

Idli are soft, pillowy steamed cakes made from a fermented batter of rice and urad dal. A South Indian breakfast staple, they are served with a tangy lentil sambar and fresh coconut chutney.

Prep

40 min

Cook

20 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4 (makes about 16 idli)

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (2½ cups) idli rice or parboiled short-grain rice, parboiled, not raw basmati
• •150 g (¾ cup) whole urad dal (skinned black gram), skinned whole, not split
• •5 g (1¼ tsp) fenugreek seeds (methi)
• •10 g (2 tsp) salt, to taste
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) neutral oil or ghee, for greasing moulds
• •500 ml (2 cups) water, for grinding rice, use only as needed for smooth batter
• •300 ml (1¼ cups) water, for grinding dal, use sparingly; thick batter ferments better
• •200 g (1 cup) toor dal (split pigeon peas), for sambar
• •1 whole small onion, chopped, for sambar
• •1 whole tomato, chopped, for sambar
• •60 g (½ cup) mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, drumstick, eggplant), for sambar
• •10 g (1 tbsp) tamarind pulp, soaked in 60 ml / 4 tbsp warm water, for sambar
• •5 g (1 tsp) sambar powder, for sambar
• •1 g (¼ tsp) turmeric powder, for sambar
• •1 g (¼ tsp) asafoetida (hing), for sambar
• •5 g (1 tsp) mustard seeds, for sambar tempering
• •8 g (1 tbsp) split urad dal, for sambar tempering
• •6 g (1 sprig) curry leaves, for sambar tempering
• •150 g (1¼ cups) fresh grated coconut, for chutney
• •30 g (¼ cup) roasted chana dal (optional), for chutney, adds body
• •1 whole small green chilli, for chutney
• •5 g (1 tsp) ginger, roughly chopped, for chutney
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, for chutney, to taste
• •10 ml (2 tsp) water, to blend chutney
• •5 g (1 tsp) mustard seeds, for chutney tempering
• •5 g (1 sprig) curry leaves, for chutney tempering

Steps

1. 1 Rinse the idli rice and fenugreek seeds together, then soak in plenty of water for 4 to 6 hours. In a separate bowl, rinse the urad dal and soak for the same time.
2. 2 Drain both. Grind the urad dal first in a wet grinder (or powerful blender) with small splashes of the 300 ml dal water, until it is very light, fluffy and almost white; this can take 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. 3 Grind the rice and fenugreek together with the 500 ml rice water, adding it little by little, until the batter is smooth but slightly coarser than the dal. Combine with the dal batter and mix gently with a clean hand. The final batter should drop in a thick ribbon from the spoon, not pour like water.
4. 4 Stir in the salt, cover loosely (not airtight) and ferment at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, until the batter has risen, looks bubbly and smells mildly sour. In cold climates, place the bowl in the oven with just the light on, or near a warm spot. Do not over-ferment or idli will turn sour.
5. 5 After fermentation, gently fold the batter down. It should now be a pourable, thick-but-not-stiff consistency; if it thickened too much, stir in 30 to 60 ml (2 to 4 tbsp) of water. Grease idli moulds lightly with oil.
6. 6 Pour batter into each mould about three-quarters full. Steam in a stacked idli cooker or any large pot with a trivet and tight lid over vigorously boiling water for 10 to 12 minutes. Test one idli: a clean toothpick inserted into the centre should come out dry and the cake should spring back when touched.
7. 7 Rest the moulds for 2 minutes, then loosen each idli with a wet spoon and serve hot.
8. 8 Sambar: pressure-cook the toor dal with 500 ml (2 cups) water and a pinch of turmeric for 3 to 4 whistles (or 25 minutes in a pot) until very soft. Whisk smooth.
9. 9 Heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil in a pot. Add the mustard seeds; when they pop, add the split urad dal and fry until pale gold. Add the asafoetida and curry leaves, then the chopped onion. Sauté until translucent, add tomato and cook until soft.
10. 10 Add the mixed vegetables, sambar powder, turmeric, tamarind water and 400 ml (1¾ cups) water. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until vegetables are tender, then stir in the mashed dal. Season with salt and simmer 3 to 4 minutes more; the sambar should be thin enough to spoon but not watery.
11. 11 Chutney: blend the grated coconut, roasted chana dal, green chilli, ginger, salt and 10 ml water to a coarse paste with small splashes of extra water as needed. Temper by heating 5 ml oil, popping the mustard seeds, and tossing in curry leaves; pour over the chutney.
12. 12 Serve idli hot with the sambar and coconut chutney on the side.