Kanchipuram idli is my grandmother's favourite breakfast recipe — a spicy twist to the regular idli famous in Kanchipuram temples.
What you need
Parboiled rice – 1/2 cup
Raw rice – 1/2 cup
½ cup Urad dal – 1/2 cup
Bengal gram (Chana dal) – 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
For seasoning
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Pepper corns – 1 tsp
½ tsp Asafoetida powder – 1/2 tsp
Ginger, grated – 1/2 inch
Curry leaves– a few
Cooking instructions
Soak the dals and rice separately for three-four hours.
Coarsely grind the dals first with a little water, then coarsely grind the soaked rice.
Mix the batter to a thicker than dosa batter consistency.
Add salt, and allow it to ferment for eight hours or overnight.
Before steaming it, season the batter with cumin seeds, pepper, ginger, curry leaves, asafoetida roasted in ghee and oil mixture.
The batter can be steamed in idli trays or in a deep vessel until well cooked.
Idlis can be served with any chutney, but tastes best with idli chilli powder.
Anuradha Prashant is a freelance marketing professional, with a penchant for cooking traditional foods.
