Idli Sambhar with Coconut Chutney

Idli’s are most popular in southern part of India, ideally eaten in breakfast. It is soft, fluffy and savory cake make with rice and urad dal. Rice and urad dal are soaked and grinded into course paste and then fermented and steamed. Adding fenugreek seeds helps batter to ferment and give unique flavor to Idli. Soaked poha or cooked rice imparts extra softness to Idli. Idli’s are served with sambhar and chutney.

Ingredients:

For Idli batter:

• 3 cups rice (Basmati rice or sona masoori rice or any regular variety)
• 1 ½ cups urad dal
• 1 tablespoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
• 1 cup poha
• Enough water to soak
• Salt to taste

For Sambhar:

• 1 cup tuver dal
• 1 cup mixed vegetables
• 2 tablespoon sambhar powder
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (tamarind water)
• 2 cup water
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Few curry leaves
• 2-3 whole red chilies
• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
• Chopped coriander leaves.

For Coconut chutney:

• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 2 green chilies
• 1” ginger
• ¼ cup daliya
• Few curry leaves
• Few coriander leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ cup water
•  Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon whole urad dal
• Few curry leaves
• Pinch of asafoetida

Instructions:

For batter:

• Wash both urad dal and rice.
• Soak poha and rice in one bowl, fenugreek seeds and urad dal in another bowl with water for 7-8 hours or for best result overnight.
• Drain the soaked water and save it for grinding.
• Grind poha and rice using ½ cup of soaked water until smooth paste.Grind urad dal and fenugreek seeds using ½ cup soaked water to smooth and fluffy paste. Make sure batter is not too liquidy.
• Transfer both batter into deep steel vessels. Mix both batter using your hand until well combined.
• Cover and let it ferment for 8-10 hours in a warm place. In winter or in countries with extreme cold temperature, use your oven light to create warm temperature. Just turn on oven light and place the batter. It might take 24 hours to ferment.
• Fermented batter will rise and double in size.
• Once fermented, gently mix the batter with salt, and steam using greased Idli molds.
• Steam the Idli’s for 10-15 minutes on high heat or until they are done. Check by inserting toothpick, if it comes out clear than it is done.
• Unmold Idli’s once warm enough.

For Sambhar:

• Wash and pressure cook tuver dal using water.
• Heat the oil in sauce pan, add mustard seeds, and allow it to crackle, add cumin seeds, whole red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida and quickly stir in mixed vegetables. (I used, green peas, carrots, cauliflower, tomato, onion and potato, cut into small pieces)
• Add salt and stir, cover and cook on medium heat until tender.
• Add sambhar powder and lemon juice. Mix well. Sauté for 1 minute
• Add 2 cups of water. Allow it boil than add cooked tuver dal. Mix well.
• Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
• Add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

For coconut chutney:

• Grind coconut, green chilies, ginger, daliya, curry leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice and salt using ½ cup water to smooth paste.
• For tempering, heat oil in small pan; add mustard seeds allow it to crackle. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and urad dal. Stir until urad dal turn into light brown color. Pour the tempering over chutney. Mix well.
• Serve Idli with chutney and sambhar.