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!