Keyword: chilli fry idli, chilli idli recipe, how to make chilli idli
Servings: 16idlis
Author: Samrat Roy Chowdhuri
Equipment
1 Idli mold
1 Wok and ladle
1 Knife and chopping board
Preparation and serving bowls
1 Wet grinder or Blender
Ingredients
To Prepare the Idli
0.5cupurad dal
1.5cupidli rice
2tspflattened rice
0.5tspfenugreek seeds or methi
1tspsalt
1.5cupice cold water
To Prepare the Chilli Idli
3tspcoconut or ground nut oilor any oil as per your choice
2pconion
2pcsmall capscicumor half medium sized capsicum
6pcgreen chili
1inchginger
12pcgarlic cloves
1tspblack pepper powder
salt to taste
2tspred chili sauce
6tsptomato ketchup
2tspsoya sauce
2tspvinegar
salt as per taste
Instructions
Prepare for the Idli (Check Detailed Instruction in Blog, Below are Just Outline)
Wash and soak the urad dal, idli rice and poha separately in water for approx 6 hours
Drain the water from urad dal, rice, and poha
To the urad dal add fenugreek seeds. Grind to from a batter (check detailed guide above). Use ice cold water to form the required consistency
To the idli rice, add poha and prepare a batter using the wet grinder or blender
Add the rice batter to the urad batter and give it a nice whisk using a spatula or hand. This helps to incorporate air making your idlis fluffy
Ferment the batter for at least 6 to 7 hours
In the pressure cooker, bring water to a boil
Meanwhile, oil the idli pan. Fill the mold with the batter
Keep the molds inside the pressure cooker on a stand (preferably)
Steam for 10 to 12 minutes
Carefully insert a knife or bamboo skewer to check if your idlis are done. If the skewer or knife do not come out clean, allow it to steam for another couple minutes until done
Slide a spoon or butter knife through the idlis after dipping them in water. Take the idlis out and put them in a container
Your idlis are ready. Cool and refrigerate for at least an hour
Preparation for the Chilli Idli
Cut the onions and bell pepper (or capsicum) into cubes
Finely chop the ginger, garlic, and green chillies
Take out the chilled idlis and break/cut each idli into four. Keep aside
In a bowl prepare corn slurry by stirring in corn flour in water
In another bowl, prepare a sauce mix of tomato ketchup, chili sauce, soya sauce and vinegar. Stir and keep aside
Cooking the Chilli Idli
Take a wok, switch on the flame and allow it to heat up
Add oil and once the oil starts smoking, add in the garlic and ginger
When the garlic browns, add in the onion cubes and capsicum and saute for a couple of minutes on high heat
Add in the sauce mix prepared above and allow to cook for a couple of minutes
As the sauce comes to a boil, add black pepper powder
Now pour in the corn slurry and allow the sauce to thicken
Check for seasonings, adjust if required
Now drop in the pieces of idli and mix everything in the wok uniformly
Feel free to garnish using coriander leaves or spring onions (not listed in the ingredients since this is optional)
Your chilli idli is ready to serve
Notes
Never use fresh idli for cooking chilli idli. Use leftover or chilled idlis
While adding salt to your chilli idli, always taste before adding. Since soya sauce contains salt, your chilli idli may not need additional salt
When sauteing the ginger, garlic, onion and capsicum ensure that the heat in the wok is high. This will ensure that the veggies will remain crispy and not get limp because of overcooking
To suit your taste-buds, feel free to alter the portion of the sauces used
Idli can be stir-fried in corn flour if you want them to be crispy before putting them in the sauce. Even some also prefer deep frying the idlis
Avoid tossing the idlis for long after putting them in the sauce as it may become soggy
Tips for Good Idli Batter
Make sure that the batter doesn't get heated up while grinding to a paste
The steaming period lasts between 12 and 15 minutes. Never over-steam idli since they will become thick and dry
If you live in a hot climate, salt should be added after fermentation right before cooking idli
Idli made with watery batter won't rise and will be hard and flat. So make sure that the batter is not runny
Give the batter some room to expand while it ferments. Do not overfill Fermenting the batter overnight naturally can give you better results