Pillowy Steamed Idli with Sambar
Cloud-soft steamed rice and lentil cakes served with a hearty vegetable sambar brimming with drumstick, tamarind, and aromatic spices. These fluffy white discs are the ultimate comfort breakfast, soaking up the complex, tangy lentil broth like little edible sponges.
Ingredients
- 2 cups idli rice (or parboiled rice)
- 1 cup urad dal (split black gram)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/2 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), for sambar
+ 13 more ingredients
Instructions
Soak the rice and fenugreek seeds together in water for 4-6 hours. Separately soak the urad dal for 4-6 hours.
Grind the urad dal to a very smooth, fluffy white batter, adding ice-cold water sparingly. Transfer to a large bowl.
Grind the rice to a slightly grainy batter and combine with the dal batter. Add salt, mix gently, cover, and ferment in a warm spot for 8-12 hours until doubled in volume.
Grease idli molds with a touch of oil. Stir the fermented batter gently, pour into each mold, and steam in an idli steamer or regular steamer for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
For the sambar, pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water until soft, about 3-4 whistles. Mash and set aside.
Cook the drumstick, carrot, and pearl onions in 1 cup of water until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the chopped tomato, sambar powder, tamarind extract, and cooked dal. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the sambar thickens slightly.
In a small pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them pop, then add the dried red chili and curry leaves. Pour this tempering into the sambar.
Unmold the idlis carefully with a wet spoon and serve hot with the sambar and coconut chutney on the side.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI