andrejthechef
IndiaRiceBreakfastVeganVegetarianDairy-free

Idli with Sambar and Coconut Chutney

South Indian idli from scratch: a fermented rice and urad dal batter steamed into soft cakes, with vegetable sambar and coconut chutney. Light, mild and vegan.

prep
15 h
cook
1 h
total
16 h
serves
4
level
medium
A steel plate with four steamed idli, one broken open to show its fluffy crumb, with a bowl of vegetable sambar and a bowl of coconut chutney tempered with mustard seeds and curry leaf

Idli are steamed cakes of fermented rice and urad dal batter, eaten across South India for breakfast with sambar, a tamarind-and-lentil vegetable stew, and coconut chutney. They are light, mild and slightly tangy, made to carry the sauces.

Fermentation makes or breaks idli. Grind the urad dal until it is very fluffy and pale, mix it with a slightly grainy rice batter, and let it rise for 8 to 12 hours in a warm place until doubled and full of bubbles. A cold kitchen is the usual reason idli come out flat. An oven with only the light switched on works well.

Idli with Sambar and Coconut Chutney is one of the best breakfasts from around the world.

method

  1. Rinse the rice 2 or 3 times and soak it in cold water to cover. Rinse the urad dal with the fenugreek seeds and soak them together in a separate bowl. Leave both for 5 to 6 hours.

  2. Drain the dal, saving the soaking water. Grind it in a wet grinder or a high-powered blender, in batches, adding about 120 ml of the cold soaking water a spoonful at a time, for 8 to 10 minutes, until very smooth, pale and doubled in volume. Move to a large bowl with plenty of room to rise.

  3. Drain the rice and grind it with about 100 ml of water to a fine but slightly grainy paste, like fine semolina. Add it to the dal along with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and mix with clean hands for 2 minutes. The batter should be thick but pourable.

  4. Cover loosely and let the batter ferment in a warm spot, about 27 to 32°C (80 to 90°F), for 8 to 12 hours, until it has doubled, is full of bubbles and smells pleasantly sour.

  5. For the sambar, cook the toor dal with the turmeric and 600 ml of water in a pressure cooker for about 15 minutes, or simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, until it falls apart, then mash. Simmer the vegetables with the tamarind and 300 ml of water for 10 to 12 minutes until tender. Add the dal, sambar powder and salt, with a little water if needed, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes.

  6. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add 1/2 teaspoon of the mustard seeds, 1 dried chili and 10 curry leaves and let them sizzle for 20 seconds. Pour this tempering over the sambar.

  7. For the chutney, blend the coconut, chana dal, green chilies, ginger and salt with about 100 ml of water to a thick, smooth paste. Temper 1 tablespoon of oil with 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, the second dried chili and the remaining curry leaves, and pour it over the chutney.

  8. Bring about 3 cm (1 inch) of water to a boil in an idli steamer. Grease the molds with oil, stir the batter once, gently, and fill each cup about three-quarters full. Steam, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Rest 2 minutes, then lift out with a wet spoon.

  9. Serve the idli hot with the sambar and chutney.

chef's tips

  • In a cold kitchen, ferment the batter in the oven with only the light on. In hot weather it may be ready in 6 to 8 hours, so check it. Over-fermented batter tastes sour.
  • Do not beat the batter after it has fermented. Stirring it once, gently, keeps the air that makes the idli fluffy.
  • Fermented batter keeps up to 3 days in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before steaming.
  • Fill the molds only three-quarters full, since idli expand as they steam.