Kancheepuram Idli

Idli is my favourite food in the world and trust me i don't even know there's such thing as Kancheepuram idli till i came across of one upon my visit to Bangalore last year. Me and my sister decided to have a short walk around the hotel area we were staying when we bumped into a small roadside stall releasing tons of steam from a big steaming pot. When we stop by, there was a large tray of white cake look alike dish only to be known later to us as Kancheepuram idli. Being a Idli fan i give it a try and wallah the most delicious idli i ever had. Loaded with aromatic Indian spices and cut into cake slices just a piece of it definitely gonna blow your mind.

Ingredients 

For Idli Batter

1/2 cup raw rice
1/2 cup idli rice
1/2 cup urad dhal
Salt as needed

For Tempering

3 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp hing
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp chana dhal
1 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp broken cashew nuts
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped green chilly
1 sprig curry leaves,chopped
2-3 tbsp gingely oil

Methods

Soak raw rice,idli rice and urad dhal separately for 4-5 hours. Grind Urad dhal till fluffy and keep aside. Then grind the rice into coarse paste. In a large and tall vessel, mixed both urad dhal and rice mixture. Season with salt and give a good mix. The batter should not be too thin or too thick. Rest the batter to ferment for 7-8 hours or overnight.

In a frying pan over a medium heat, add gingely oil and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutters, add curry leaves,chana dhal,urad dhal,hing,cumin seeds,cashew nuts,black peppercorns,chopped ginger and chopped green chilly. Cook til the dhal turn golden.

Add the mixture into the fermented batter and add chopped coriander leaves. Mix it well.

Pour the batter into a lightly greased shallow plate and steam for 10-15 minutes or till well cooked. Remove from steamer and slice according to your preference.

Serve hot with sambar and chutney of your choice.