Coarse steamed rice and lentil cakes infused with crushed black pepper, cumin seeds, dry ginger powder, and pure cow's ghee.
Breakfast · 20 min prep · 20 min cook · serves 4 Newly added
Ingredients
- 1 cup idli rice (parboiled)
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup urad dal , whole skinless black gram
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns , coarsely crushed
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp sonth (dry ginger) , sukku powder
- 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
- 3 tbsp ghee , melted
- 1 sprig curry leaves , torn
- 1.5 tsp salt
Preparation
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Soak parboiled rice, raw rice, and urad dal together for 4 hours.
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Grind coarsely (rava texture) with minimal water; ferment for 8 hours.
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Fold crushed pepper, cumin, dry ginger powder, hing, salt, curry leaves, and warm ghee into batter.
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Pour into greased cups or leaf-lined molds, filling 3/4 full.
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Steam on high heat for 18 to 20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
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Rest 5 minutes before unmolding.
In the tradition
At Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple, this festive idli is steamed in cylindrical bamboo molds lined with mandharai leaves. Heavy seasoning of black pepper, dry ginger, and ghee ensures long shelf life and easy digestion.
Sources & further reading
- Sri Varadaraja Perumal Temple Canon, Kanchipuram (Kanchipuram Kovil Prasadam Tradition)
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books are shared as further reading, not as prescriptions.