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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