Breakfast Recipes: Idli With Chutney

Idli is a very healthy breakfast item for your stomach. Eating Idli with chili-spice powder or a light Chutney is a good habit instead of consuming it with a Sambar dish.

I hope that most of you know that Idli is prepared with the ingredients of Rice and Black Gram Dal (known as Urad Dal).

But, it is not the ordinary rice that we use for making idlis. Idli requires boiled rice that is sold in markets (at all provision stores in Southern India) to make it.

The chutney that I refer to here is prepared with fried Chana Dal and Coconut (either raw coconut or dried nut).

Idli Preparation Method

You need to keep things ready 10 to 12 hours before the actual preparation of this recipe. You need to soak the main ingredients for at least 6 to 8 hours before grinding them to paste. Then leave the mixture for at least 2 to 3 hours before preparing the idlis. Of course, you need the Idli Cooker (the idli frame and its container) for preparing the idlis. I am explaining this process, step-by-step, in full detail in the following sections.

Ingredients for Idli Recipe

• 250 grams of Idli rava (roughly ground particles of Boiled Rice). The rice is broken in the flour mills to obtain medium-sized refined particles. 
• 100 grams of split black gram known as urad dal (The split lentil is white in color)
• salt one tea-spoonful
• water for soaking and grinding

Step-By-Step Preparation Instructions

1. Soak the lentils in a bowl filled with water for 8 hours.
2. Remove the soaked lentils from water and put in the grinding jar. Now, grind carefully adding some water each time till it gets ground into a smooth paste.
3. Now, remove the paste from the jar into a large bowl.
4. Mix the idli rava into it along with the salt and some water to make it a soft paste. It should not get diluted.
5. Leave the mixture for some time so that the contents blend thoroughly.
6. Now, get ready the idli cooker with its plates.
7. Apply ghee or any refined cooking oil to the plates so that the cooked idli does not stick to the plates and could be removed without damaging its round shape. (Apply only a bit of oil with your fingers to the plates)
8. Now take the empty cooker and add some water into it for the purpose of cooking idlis with the steam generated from it. Take care that the water level does not touch the idli plates frame when you put the frame in it.
9. Pour the idli mix with a ladle into the oil-applied-plates to their levels (taking care that it does not spill out when fixing the plates to the frame).
10. Now, place the filled frame into the cooker. Light the stove and put the cooker on the flame. Close it with the lid.
11. Within a few minutes, the idlis will be cooked and you will listen to the whistles coming. Wait for 3, or 4 whistles so that it gets perfectly cooked.
12. Now put off the flame and leave it to cool for some time. After cooling, you can remove the plates and separate the idlis from the plates carefully with your fingers.
13. You can serve them instantly to the members along with some side-dish like chutney, spice powder, or the soup known as Sambar.
    

Idli Chutney 

Ingredients for Chutney

1. Fried Chana Dal (Fried chick pigeon peas) 100 grams
2. Coconut (normal or dry nut) 50 grams
3. Green chili 3 nos.
4. Ginger (a small piece) for taste
5. Salt 1/2 spoon (or as you prefer it)
6. Top-Up ingredients (like mustard seeds, cumin, hing, a bit oil)

Step-By-Step Preparation Tips for Idli Chutney

1. Cut the coconut into small pieces for easy grinding. Cut green chilis also.
2. Now, put the ingredients from no.1 to no.5 into your grinding jar.
3. Grind them adding water little by little, in stages, as per the requirement. You can add a little curd also if you prefer to get some good taste. After grinding, the chutney should become soft and in a thick liquid form.
4. Now, remove the chutney into any bowl and top-up it by frying the topping ingredients in a small frying pan.
5. Now you can serve the chutney with a tablespoon along with the idlis to your members.