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Kanchipuram Idly Recipe

Steamed rice and lentil cakes with pepper corns and cumin. Makes a great breakfast when served with coconut chutney and sambar. Can be made vegan and gluten free.
Prep Time1 day
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 day 20 minutes
Course: Breakfast/ Brunch
Cuisine: South Indian
Servings: 18
Author: Anusha Praveen

Ingredients

  • Parboiled rice 3/4 c
  • Raw rice 3/4 c
  • Husked whole urad dal 3/4 c
  • Cumin seeds 2 tsp
  • Peppercorns 2 tsp
  • Ginger grated 1.5 tbsp
  • Curry leaves 2 sprigs
  • Cashews 3 tbsp broken
  • Ghee refer notes 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds 1 tsp
  • Urad dal 2 tsp
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Soak rice and dal together for about 6 hours.
  • Grind to a coarse paste adding enough water.
  • Add salt, mix well and let it ferment till sour. This can take anywhere between 12 to 18 hours depending on the weather.
  • Once fermented, mix well again with a whisk.
  • Heat a pan with ghee.
  • Add cashews and fry to a golden brown.
  • Drain and add to the batter.
  • Now, in the same pan, using the same ghee, pop the mustard and follow with the remaining ingredients.
  • Wait till the peppercorns begin to burst.
  • At that stage, add this mixture to the batter and mix well.
  • Grease idli moulds with oil or ghee.
  • Pour a ladle of batter in each cavity and steam in an idli cooker for 12 to 15 mins or until done.

Notes

The batter for this recipe must be coarse like that of semolina.
The batter must not be too thick or too runny. When you pour a ladle of batter, it must be free flowing.
You can also add coconut bits to the batter.
Skip the ghee and use vegetable oil for a vegan version.
Its very important for the batter to become sour or else the idlies wont taste good.
Traditionally, these idlies are cooked in a deep plate like vessel or in small cups. The picture shows idlies that i made in a small deep plate. But i found that the batter cooks quickly in a traditional idli mould. So feel free to make your choice.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

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