Idli Fry

This is a ‘cholestrol intensive’ snack. But it does not hurt to have it once in a blue moon, after all food is one of the good things in life that everyone must enjoy 😉 We first tasted it in my brother’s place when we had gone for an unexpected visit to his place. My anni had only left over idlis in hand and she made this tasty snack out of it. The below recipe serves two-three people, but it is so tasty that one person can eat this dish made for two. Lol 😀 

Ingredients

Left Over Idlis – 6  

Tomato – 2 medium sized – Cut into medium sized pieces

Onion – 2 medium sized – Cut into small pieces

Corriander Leaves – As required

Oil – For deep frying

Garam Masala – 1/2 tsp

Red Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt – As per taste

Turmeric – A pinch

Ginger Garlic Paste – 1/4 tsp (Optional, can be added if you like your food spicy)

Method of Preparation

Cut each idli into 6 pieces.

Heat the oil in the pan and deep fry the idlis. Keep the idlis spread on a brown paper or on a kitchen tissue paper so that the excess oil is absorbed. (Note: The idlis will soak a lot of oil when they are being fried)

Now take a fresh pan, and heat 2 tsp of oil.

Once the oil is heated, add the cut onions and saute it.

Then add the Ginger garlic paste.

Once the onion turns a light golden brown, add the cut tomatoes and mix well.

Then add salt, chilli powder, garam masala and turmeric.

Mix well and then add the idlis and mix well so that this mixture blends well with the fried idlis.

Garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot.

Idli Karam Toast

This is a very hot (karam) recipe. People who love eating hot food will surely like it. This is also made with left over idlis.

Ingredients

Leftover Idlis  – As required

Thellagadda Podi ( Garlic Karam Podi) – As per taste

Oil – As required

Method of Preparation

Mix the garlic karam podi with oil and make it into a paste.

Spread this paste on the front and back of each idli. The quantity of the paste can be adjusted to each person’s taste.

Then heat the dosa tava (Flat pan used for making chappatis and dosas).

Pour a little quantity of oil on the tava.

After the oil heats, place the idlis on the tava. Let them heat for a couple of minutes.

Then turn the idlis on the other side. Let this also heat for a couple of minutes.

After the idlis have roasted (you can see the top of the idli turning dark red) remove from the tava and serve hot.

Idli Upma

This is a very tasty upma made with leftover idlis. I have heard variations of the same recipe, but this is the one which my mom makes. The quantity of the upma depends on the number of leftover idlis. The quantities mentioned here serves 1 person.

Ingredients

Leftover idlis – 4

Idli Molaga Podi – As required

Onion – 1 (Big)

Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp

Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp

Oil – 1tsp

Note: For the Tamil or Telugu Equivalent of the ingredients, please refer the Glossary page.

Method of Preparation

With you hand powder the idli into small pieces.

Then mix required amount of molagai podi according to your with the powdered idli.

Then heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Then add mustard seeds.

After the mustard seeds burst, add Urad Dal and fry for 30 seconds.

After the Dal turns brown, add onion and fry until onion is half cooked.

Then add the powdered idli and mix well.

Keep it on the stove for about 2 mins and then remove and serve hot.

Rava Idli

Rava Idli is actually a very quick type of recipe which does not require you to plan overnight. It is really yummy and one of my favorites. So here it goes. You can make approx 16 idlis with these measurements.

                                   

Ingredients

Sour Curd : 5 Cups (Thick Curd)

Rava : 2 Cups

Semiya : 1/2 Cup 

Carrot : 2 Grated (Optional)      

Chana Dhal : 1 tsp

Urad Dhal : 1 tsp

Mustard : 1 tsp 

Green Chillies : 4 (Cut into small pieces)

Ginger : A small piece cut into tiny pieces

Corriander Leaves : As required 

Curry Leaves: As required

Cashew nut: As many as required (Optional)

Note: For the Tamil or Telugu Equivalent of the ingredients, please refer the Glossary page.

Method of Preparation

 Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan.

Add mustard. After the mustard bursts, add urad dhal, chana dhal, curry leaves, green chillies and ginger pieces.

Fry for a couple of minutes, then add Rava and Semiya. Fry for 10 minutes and remove from the flame and allow the mixture to cool.

After the mixture has cooled down, add this rava mixture and salt to the thick sour curd and mix well.

Then add grated carrot, corriander leaves and fried cashewnut.

Let the mixture soak for about an hour.

After an hour, the batter is ready to be made into idlis.

Side Dish Combinations:

Rava Idli goes well with molagai podi or wallajah karam. Chutney is also a good combination.

Idli – Keeping it simple

Ingredients

Boiled Rice (or) Idli Rice : 2 Cups

Black Gram Dhal : 1/4 Cups

(For the Tamil, Telugu or Hindi equivalent of the Ingredients, kindly visit the Glossary Page)

Method

Wash and soak the rice and the dhal separately.

First grind the dhal with a little water in the grinder. Grind till the dhal becomes frothy and remove it in a separate vessel.

Then grind rice with a little water. Grind till the rice is of coarse consistency.

Then remove the rice flour and mix it with the dhal flour.

Add crystal salt with this mix.

Leave it for fermentation overnight. (Do not keep it in the fridge or fermentation will not happen).

Then next day, use the batter to prepare idlis.

Serves: 4 (16 Idlis)

Side Dish Combination:

This idli goes well with chutney, molagai podi or sambar. For added taste you can pour ghee on the hot idlis before serving with the side dish of your choice.

Idli – Steamed Rice Cakes

While browsing through google for the definition of idli, I found a particularly interesting page on Wikipedia, which has nice mouthwatering photographs of idlis with side dishes and a history behind idlis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idli

Idlis are the staple breakfast diet of the majority of the South Indians. And there are many varieties of idlis and the method of preparation of even the same variety differs from people to people. Here I shall give you the types of idlis which my mother makes along with the side dishes which go well with them. Also I shall give you some of our household favorites made with leftover idlis.

Hope you will enjoy this as much as we have done it.