Normally idlis are bland, plain and white in colour. Here is Kanjeevaram (Kanchipuram) Idli that is different. It is a colorful, seasoned idli. The seasoning gives nice taste and flavor to the idli. This is also offered as prasadam in some temples.
This is steam cooked as a big cake or cooked in small deep cups instead of using the standard idli-stand.
Ingredients
- Par boiled rice – 1 cup
- Raw rice – 1 cup
- Split black gram or urad dal – ¾ cup
- Dried ginger (sukku in Tamil) – small piece
- Asafetida – 2 pinch
- Cooking soda – pinch (optional)
- Salt – as per taste
- For seasoning
- Mustard – 1 tea spoon
- Urad dal – 1 tea spoon
- Bengal gram – 1 table spoon
- Chopped cashew nut – 1 heaped table spoon
- Crushed pepper – 1 table spoon
- Cumin seed – 1 tea spoon
- Chopped green chilli – 3 no
- Curry leaves – few
- Ghee – 2 table spoon
- Oil – 2 table spoon
Method
- Soak raw rice and parboiled rice together for 3 hours; soak urad dal for 30 minutes; grind soaked dal to a paste (no need to grind more; it can be slightly coarse).
- Grind rice to a coarse paste.
- Mix both rice and dal paste; the batter should be like idly batter; add dry ginger powder, asafetida powder, salt and mix well.
- Keep it for fermentation (it may take 8 to 10 hours depending on hot/cold climate).
- Heat a pan with oil and ghee; add mustard, urad dal, Bengal gram and fry well; add cashew nut, crushed pepper, cumin seed, chopped green chilli, curry leaves; fry well and remove; when it cools little, add in the batter.
- Add cooking soda also and mix well; now the batter is ready.
- Grease small containers (I used small steel cups, katori); fill three-fourth with batter and steam cook for 10 to 15 minutes or till done.
- Serve hot with any chutney. I served it with Red Chilli Flavored Coconut Chutney.
- Here is a closer view of Kanjeevaram (Kanchipuram) Idli.
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Great looking idlis, havent had since a long…
grt idlis…tried it and all loved it at my house; can you suggest how to make idlis or dosas without adding urad dal? or anything that can substitute the urad dal?
Hi looks really yummy, can’t wait to try. Did you use wet grinder or mixie to grind?