Instant Masala Idli

I lived in Hyderabad, India for 3 years during my first job and had the pleasure to eat the south Indian meals so frequently! My goto breakfast option at office was mostly Idli! I had started working out during that time, and wanted to shed quite a few pounds. Idli was my favorite yummy companion during my weight loss journey. There are quite a few reasons that make this popular breakfast/snack a healthy choice. For example, it is steam cooked, with very little oil and eaten with Sambhar (Lentil soup with vegetables) and coconut chutney which make it a complete nutritional package!

Authentic method of making Idli is by natural fermentation of rice+lentil batter. But it takes time (approx 12-16 hrs depending on weather). Idli can also be made instantly with Semolina (Suji) and sour curd mix. The major ingredient which gives fluffiness to the idlis is the fruit salt which is added just before steaming starts. Also there are multiple variants and modifications which can be brought to the simple Idli. Like, adding vegetables, adding asian sauces to make it indo-asian chinese Idli or sauteing it with mustard seeds and curry leaves to make the perfect fried idlis and many more! Kids love to eat it with Ghee and jaggery powder! Trust me it tastes yumm..

On my plate today is mixed vegetable Masala Idli. The nutrition of carrots, beans and bell pepper in semolina-curd batter makes it super healthy and tasty! I try to sneak in as many veggies as possible in all my dishes (mom life!!) I also made peanut chutney with idlis. It tasted so good! All the nuttiness gave a lovely flavor to the whole meal!

Ingredients:

Semolina- 1 cup

Sour curd- 1/2 cup

Carrot, beans, bellpepper- 1 cup total (finely chopped)

Eno fruit salt- 1.5 tsp

Oil- 1.5 tbsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Curry leaves- 5 (finely chopped)

Chana daal- 1 tsp

Cashews- 5 (chopped)

Red chiili powder- 1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Peanut chutney:

Peanuts- 1/2 cup

Roasted chana- 1/4 cup

Oil- 1 tbsp

Curry leaves- 6-7

Green chilli- 1

Salt- to taste

Water 1/2 cup (add more according to consistency)

Method:

1. Mix suji, curd and salt with water and make a thick batter. Let it rest for 15 min.

2. After 15 min, Add more water to batter as suji soaks up water added previously.

3. Add chopped veggies. Let it rest for 5 min.

4. Till then, prepare tempering- heat oil, add mustard seeds, chana dal and cashews and let dal become brownish. Then add curry leaves and red chilli powder.

5. Add tempering to the batter. Batter should not be very thin otherwise the veggies would settle down in the idli.

6. Steam water in Idli cooker and grease idli plates with oil or ghee.

7. When the water starts to boil, add fruit salt in the batter and fill idli plates 3/4 (Do not fill up to the top as Idli will rise while cooking.

8. Steam in idli steamer for 12-13 min on med-high heat. Insert knife to check if cooked. If it comes out clean, Idli is ready.

9. Remove Idli plates from the cooker and let it cool down for 5 min. Remove Idlis and Enjoy with chutney & Sambhar!

Peanut chutney method:

1. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp.

2. Add curry leaves and peanuts to it. Let peanuts become brown then remove the pan.

3. Blend roasted peanuts & curry leaves with roasted chana, green chilli, salt and water. Add more water to make it smooth. Chutney is ready. Bon appetit! 😊