Idli sambar chutney

Recipe for Jazzed-up Idlis with Sambar and Coconut Chutney

1) Recipe for Jazzed-up Idlis:

Ingredients:

3 cups white rice + 1 cup brown rice
1 cup whole skinned black matpe beans / black gram daal/black lentils (urad daal in Hindi, ulundu in Tamil)
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi in Hindi, vendhayam in Tamil)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp crushed black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp powdered dried ginger
1/4 cup cashews roasted and broken in to pieces
A pinch asafoetida (optional)
2 Tbsp raw sesame oil
2 Tbsp ghee
1 Tbsp vegetable oil for coating the idli plates

Method:

Make the batter:

Wash thoroughly by kneading with your hands the rice and lentils separately and soak for 5-6 hours. Wash fenugreek seeds and soak
Grind or blend the lentils first until it is as smooth as butter adding only as much water as you need and not a drop more
Then add the soaked rice, fenugreek seeds and salt and grind in to a smooth batter
Scoop with your hands (it will ferment better if you use your hands) in to a large container with a lot of headroom for the batter to rise
Place in a warm spot (I place it inside the oven with the light on) overnight to rise
After the batter has fermented, add the crushed black pepper, dried ginger powder, asafoetida (if using), cashews, sesame oil and ghee and mix

Make the idlis:

2) A Simple Coconut Chutney Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup yellow lentils / chana daal (kadalai paruppu in Tamil)
1/2 cup grated coconut (found in the frozen section in Indian grocery stores)
4 green Thai or Indian chilies (or more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split urad dal
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Lightly roast the chana daal until golden brown and fragrant and powder in a blender
Add the grated coconut, green chilies and about 1/4 cup water and blend in to a thick consistency
Heat oil in a small pan. Add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add the urad dal. When golden brown, add the curry leaves and switch off
Dump the oil seasoning in to the chutney and mix

3) A Simple Sambar Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup split pigeon peas / red gram lentils/red gram daal (toor daal in Hindi, thuvaram paruppu in Tamil)
1 small ping pong ball size of tamarind (or 2 Tbsp tamarind paste)
2 cups chopped vegetables like potatoes, beans, egg plant, bell pepper, carrots
A pinch turmeric
2 Tbsp sambar powder (available in Indian stores)
2 Tbsp grated coconut (found in the frozen section in Indian grocery stores)
2 green Thai or Indian chilies
1 Tbsp raw sesame oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera in Hindi, jeeragam in Tamil)
1 red chili, halved
A sprig of curry leaves
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

Wash and soak the lentils overnight. Drain and cook the lentils with 2 cups of water until soft and mushy. (Add more water if necessary)
Rinse and soak the tamarind in warm water to cover for an hour. Squeeze out the pulp and discard the skin and fibers. Set aside
Grind together the coconut and chilies with 1/4th cup of water and set aside
In a large pot, bring the tamarind pulp with about 2 cups of water to a boil and add the chopped vegetables, turmeric and sambar powder. Bring to a boil again and then lower heat and close with a lid and cook until the vegetables are soft. Add the ground coconut and chilies and cook for a few more minutes and switch off heat
Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, add the cumin seeds and red chili. When golden brown, switch off heat and add the curry leaves
Dump the oil seasoning in to the pot, add salt to taste and mix
Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve the sambar with idli