Idli Sambar

In Nepali and Indian meals, it is common to find the combination of carb and vegetarian dishes. Rice and curry, or roti and curry and chutney sauce on the side. Idli (pronounced “eed-lee”) and sambar are similar. Idli is usually made out of rava — a type of rice flour with the right texture. You can also mix it with wheat or lentil flour of your choice. Sambar is the vegetarian soup that goes with idli and it can also work well with dosa. Idli-sambar are usually served with the coconut sauce, which is also described below.

To give idli its circular-disc like shape, you will also need an idli maker that are sold in Indian or Asian stores.

1) For idli, you will need:

black lentils (urad daal)- 1 cup

Idli rava -2 cups

Salt- 1 teaspoon

Direction:

Soak urad daal overnight. Then grind it in a grinder

Rinse idli rava a few times. Then mix it with urad daal and let it ferment for 8 hours. After 8 hours, add 1 teaspoon salt. Now your idli batter is ready.

Pour the batter on the Idli maker and steam for 10 minutes.

Your idli is now ready.

2) For chutney or sauce, here are the ingredients:

Grated coconut- 1 cup

Chana daal- 2 tablespoons

Garlic- 1 clove

Green chili- 2

Tamarind- a small piece

Salt- 1/2 teaspoon

Oil- 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon

Red chili-2

Curry leaves- 4

Cilantro- 3 tablespoons

Mint- few leaves

Ginger- 1 inch

Direction:

In a grinder take coconut, roasted chana daal, cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, green chili, tamarind, salt, and little water and grind.

In a pan, heat some oil and add for tadka mustard seeds, uraad daal, red chili, and curry leaves. Then pour on the coconut mixture. Your achar or sauce is ready.

3) Now for sambar, you will need:

Yellow lentils (toor daal)-2 cups

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon

Oil- 3 tablespoons

Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds-1 teaspoon

Red chili- 2

Green chili-1

Asafoetida- 1/4 teaspoon

Curry leaves-4

Onion-1

Tomatoes-2

Carrot- 1

Egg plant- 1/2 cup

Drumstick- 1/2 cup

Radish- 1/2 cup

Kashmir mirch-1 teaspoon

Sambar powder- 1 teaspoon

Tamarind-4 tablespoons

Direction:

Wash and cook yellow lentils in a pressure cooker. Add salt to taste and turmeric powder. Once lentil is cooked.

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry chili, green chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves.

After 5 minutes, add onion and tomatoes. Then add carrot, egg plant, drumstick, radish and cook.

Then add salt, Kashmiri mirch powder, sambar powder, and tamarind pulp. Then add 2–3 cup water.

Cover and cook.

Later, add cubes of onions and lentils from the pressure cooker.

Boil for 3–4 min. Add fresh cilantro.

Serve warm with idli or dosa.