Idlis with sambar :

                   

Idli is a wholesome nutritious breakfast and a number of surveys have adjudged it to be among the most nutritious breakfast options in the world . Kids love idli especially especially if it is dunked in piping hot sambar and with a dollop of chutney . Getting the perfect idles are difficult for many people so here's the recipe to make a perfect idli sambar and leaving your kids asking for more.


Idli:

Ingredients

Idli rice - 3 cups

Urad dhal(preferably whole) - 3/4 cup

Fenugreek seeds - 1 teaspoon

Salt - as required ( preferably around a heaped teaspoon here)

Method:

1)Clean and soak the rice and the urad dhal + fenugreek seeds separately for a minimum of four hours.

Grind the rice in a grinder with enough water to make a smooth paste but not too smooth , a slight coarseness of the rice should be felt . It may take around 10-15 minutes in a grinder.

2)Grind the urad dhal mixture adding water a little at a time till it is well grinded and fluffy . It should be done for at least 1/2 an hour to get the fluffiest idlis.

3)Once done mix both well and keep in a warm place to ferment preferably overnight.

4)The next day you would find the batter risen considerably . Give a gentle twirl , take the required batter from top for idlis,add required salt and pour into idli moulds and steam.

5)After steaming for around 12-15 minutes , your hot idlis are ready . Remove from mould after cooling slightly .

For sambar:

Ingredients:

Assorted vegetables(brinjal,ladies finger/white or yellow pumpkin,shallots)

Chopped in big pieces - 1 cup

Cooked and mashed that dhal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind - small lemon sized ball

Tomato - 1

Sambar powder - 1 heaped teaspoon

Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon

Jaggery - a small piece ( optional for those who want a hint of sweetness)

To grind:

Coconut scraped - 1 tablespoon

Channa dhal - 1 teaspoon

Dhania seeds - 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Red chillies - 3 ( changes according to your spice preference)

To temper:

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 5-6

Asafoetida - a pinch.

Method:

1)Soak the tamarind in half a cup of warm water and after a few minutes,squeeze and remove the tamarind . In the tamarind water , add all the vegetables ,tomato ,turmeric and sambar powder. Add a little salt and a cup of water and cook the vegetables in it.

2)In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients under " to grind " in the order shown for a couple of minutes and grind to a smooth paste adding a little water.

3)Add the mashed thuan dhal to the cooked vegetables and mix well and simmer , add the ground mixture and required salt and mix well . If required add jaggery , bring to a boil and switch off.

4)Add a teaspoon of oil or ghee to a tempering pan . When the oil reaches smoking point switch off. Add the mustard seeds and urad dhal and let the mustard seeds splutter.Add the curry leaves and asafoetida and temper the sambar.

5)Though it looks like a elaborate process, sambar is simple if you get the ingredients ready and goes well with rice,idli ,dosa or any South Indian breakfast .

6)Dunk your idlis in sambar and serve with a dollop of ghee for kids for a healthy and wholesome breakfast.

Tips:

• The ratio of rice and urad dhal for idlis vary with their quality. Try a mix and match for a couple of times till you arrive t the correct ratio.
• Adding salt to the batter as and well required gives better dosa and idlis whenever used.
• Sambar can be made without the ground coconut paste but doesn't taste as well as the authentic one .
• If you have mini idli moulds do go for mini idli sambar which is tastier when served with a dollop of ghee and more attractive to kids.

Mini idlis

Nutritional content

Each idli contains just 39 calories, which is a minimal amount in comparison to a healthy 2,000-calorie daily diet. Idlis contain no fat, no saturated fat and no cholesterol.In a single idli, you consume 2 grams of protein,2 grams of dietary fiber and 8 grams of carbohydrates. Vitamins and Minerals

One idli contains 1 milligram of iron, and trace amounts of calcium, folate, potassium and vitamin A.