Idli and Sambhar

Today we had Idli and sambhar for breakfast. My sambhar is a quick one. I've used sambhar powder which we get in market. This makes it more easier to make. I love to temper it with cumin seeds, so have used cumin along with mustard seeds. 

For Idlis

You need

• Urid dal - 1 cup 
• Raw rice - 2 cups
• Cooked rice - a handful
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak Urid dal and raw rice in water separately for atleast 3 hours
• Grind rice and dal separately. 
• Add cooked rice to raw rice while grinding. 
• Mix together the separately ground batters. Add salt to taste. 
• Keep it overnight to ferment or for atleast 10-12 hrs.
• Pour the batter in idli pathram and steam for 10-15 minutes.

Note: I use a mixie to grind dal and rice. So the above measures are for a mixie user. :)

Sambhar

You need

• Toor dal - 1/2 cup
• Water - 4 cups
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Onion - 1 diced into medium size
• Potato - 1 diced
• Carrot - 1 diced
• Cucumber - 1 diced
• Drumstick - 1 cut into small pieces
• Sambhar powder - 3 tsp (we get nirapara sambhar powder here. I use that)
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp (Optional)
• Asafoetida (hing) - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 bunch (I like lots in sambhar)
• Tamarind juice - 1 tbsp  (from a gooseberry size tamarind ball) (Optional)

For tempering 

• Oil as required
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Shallots - 3 sliced
• Dry red chillies - 2

Method

• Soak toor dal in water for 1 hour.
• Put toor dal, diced onion, potato, carrot, tomato and cucumber in pressure cooker with 2 cups of water. Cook for 1 whistle and put the flame on low. Wait for 1 more whistle and switch off the flame. 
• In a frying pan dry roast the sambhar powder and chilli powder (you can avoid if you don't want it spicy) for a minute. Switch off. 
• When the pressure is relieved from the cooker, open it and add powders. Mix well
• Add drumsticks and handbroken coriander leaves.
• Add the remaining 2 cups of water. 
• Check for the tanginess. If you want it more tangy add tamarind juice as required. (I usually don't use tamarind)
• Add asafoetida and mix well. Put on the flame on low and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes.
• Put a frying pan on flame.
• Add oil.
• When oil becomes hot add cumin seeds
• When cumin seeds starts bursting you get a lovely aroma.
• Add fenugreek seeds, sliced shallots and dry red chillies. 
• When they become brown switch off and pour in sambhar which is simmering. 
• Let is simmer for a minute. Switch off and serve with Idlis/dosas