Idlis

 

This is an old picture of idlis with sambar....we invited friends, and we ate everything!...I couldn't take new pictures;)

I know that I had this recipe from before, but I made it again with my sambar masala powder. I always change it to use the vegetables that I have in the fridge....it turn out to be delicious!!....fulfilling and comforting!

This is the first Indian dish that I learned to cook....and I love it!

The batter for idli and dosa is the same. I use a little more water in the dosa to make the pancake smoother.

Batter

3 cups of ponni rice
1 cup urad dal
Salt

Soak the rice and urad dal together overnight. Then, grind them to a fine paste (I use the blender), add salt, and leave it to ferment 24 hours.

You will see that is fermented when the batter has bubbles.

Place the batter into greased idli molds (brush them with oil), and steam it over boiling water. The holes of the idli molds will make the steam to go through and cook the idlis.

You have to place the idli tray in a pot with boiling water (only 3 cmc of boiling water). Cook it until firm, which is usually 8-10 minutes.

You will know that the idlis are cooked when they rise and are not soft.

When they are warm, take them out of the idli molds......and serve them with sambar

Sambar

2 cup of toor dal

3.5 cups of water

1 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste (plus 1 cup of water)

1 teaspoon Turmeric 

Salt

Sambar Powder (you can use the brand MTR or MDH)

7 curry leaves

Mustard seeds

Chillies if you wish

Vegetables such as onion, carrot, potato,and tomato. 

Oil

Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of water for 25 minutes. Squeeze it out to make 1 cup of tamarind juice. Reserve it.

Wash the toor dal, and cook it in 3. cups of water with turmeric and salt.  Discard the foam that is obtained when you cook it. Cook it until is soft. Add the tamarind juice, and the asafoetida. Add the vegetables in cubes, and the curry leaves. Simmer it until it is cooked.

Tempering

2 tablespoons of oil

1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds

3 garlic cloves crushed

2 tablespoons of sambar masala powder

2 red dry chillies cut in half

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, when they are popping lower the heat. Add the sambar masala powder and the red chillies. Mix it well, and add it to the sambar mix. Serve it warm with the idlis. ENJOY!!