Idli Sambhar

by Shaheen Ali

Mornings are happy when breakfast is my favorite Idli with Sambhar. Idli is a traditional breakfast in Indian households. Idli is a savory cake that is popular in South and now throughout India . The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils (de-husked) and rice. The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. To make idli, two parts uncooked rice to one part split black lentil (urad dal) are soaked separately for at least four hours. Optionally spices such as fenugreek seeds can be added at the time of soaking for additional flavor. Once done soaking, the lentils ground to a fine paste and rice coarsely grinned separately then combined. Next, the mixture is left to ferment overnight during which its volume will more than double. After fermentation some of the batter may be kept as a starter culture for the next batch. They taste awesome when soaked in tangy sambhar. Blisss!!!


Sambar is a lentil based vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind popular in South India. Sambar is made either exclusively with one of these vegetables or a combination of them – okra, carrot, radish, pumpkin, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal(eggplant) and whole or halved shallots or onions. Sambar powder is a coarse powder made of roasted lentils, dried whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves with regional variations including cumin, black pepper, grated coconut, cinnamon, or other spices. The vegetables, tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, and asafoetida are boiled together, until the vegetables are half-cooked. After the vegetables are half cooked, the lentils are added and allowed to cook until the vegetables are done. Sambar is garnished with fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves. Mustard seeds, black gram, and dried red chillies, and curry leaves tempered in vegetable oil is added to the cooked sambar.

Print Recipe
IDLI SAMBHAR
Course breakfast
Cuisine south indian
Prep Time 1440 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
serving
Ingredients
For making Idli :
  • 3 : 1 Rice Dal The ratio in n which i follow while making Idli is
  • 3 cups Rice
  • 1 cup urad dal Split and husked dhuli
  • Salt as needed
  • grease Oil to the mold
For making Sambhar :
Course breakfast
Cuisine south indian
Prep Time 1440 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings
serving
Ingredients
For making Idli :
  • 3 : 1 Rice Dal The ratio in n which i follow while making Idli is
  • 3 cups Rice
  • 1 cup urad dal Split and husked dhuli
  • Salt as needed
  • grease Oil to the mold
For making Sambhar :
Instructions
How to make Idlis :
  1. Soak the rice and lentil in water separately for hours.
  2. Grind the lentil to a fine smooth paste, and the rice a little coarse (enough to feel a texture, like fine sand).
  3. Mix the ground ingredients with salt and enough water to form a batter of dropping consistency.
  4. Leave, covered, in a warm place to ferment to a spongy batter, overnight.
  5. Grease the Idli mould and pour batter into each section evenly.
  6. Steam in an idli steamer
  7. Serve Hot !!!
For making Sambhar :
  1. Wash and dice all the vegetables in equal size and shape.
  2. Boil water and pressure cook the dal with turmeric, tomatoes and salt.
  3. Separate the cooked dal and water, and keep them aside.
  4. Saute the vegetables in 2 tbsp oil.
  5. Add little water to the vegetables and let them cook in low flame for few minutes. You can also use the left over water from dal for cooking veggies. Also add few curry leaves while cooking. It will give amazing aroma to the vegetables.
  6. Meanwhile soak tamarind in hot water and get the pulp out of it. Remove seeds if any.
  7. Once the vegetables are cooked , add dal and mix all well. You may add little water if you find dal too thick. Bring it to boil.
  8. Slowly add sambhar powder and stir nicely. Break lumps if formed. Make sure the sambhar powder should get incorporated nicely.
  9. Close the lid and let it cook for few more minutes.
  10. This is when you have to adjust salt too. Be careful while checking salt as you had already added it while boiling dal.
  11. Now start adding tamarind pulp from one side and keep stirring. Keep checking as per your required taste.
  12. Give another boil to it.
  13. Take a frying pan and add prepare the tempering. For that heat oil, add mustard seeds, hing, whole red chillies, few curry leaves and garlic. Fry them and add to the sambhar. Turn off the gas and close the lid immediately so that the aroma remains intact.
  14. Serve Hot with Hot and Steaming Idlis.
Recipe Notes

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