Fried Idli

This week I made dosa and idli for Mr. Husband. It was a nice change after having North Indian cuisines cooking in the kitchen for a while. But then there were a ton of idlis left over and I was afraid that he would get bored of eating it the usual way with Sambhar. So then Fried Idli occurred to me. It would be a good packed lunch for him, I thought to myself. And off I was to experiment with this new dish.

I added potato to add interest to the flavours, coriander chutney to give it a twist, lemon juice for the kick, garam masala to add warmth, and veggies to increase the health value of this meal.


Preparation required.

Serves 2 as a meal, 4 for a snack.

1. Mustard seeds, 1 tsp
2. Cumin seeds, 1 tssp
3. Heeng, a pinch
4. Turmeric powder, 2 tsp
5. Garam masala, 1 tsp
6. Red chili powder, 1 tsp,
7. Salt to taste
8. Oil for deep or shallow frying (I chose the latter)
9. Onion, finely chopped
10. Tomato paste, 2-3 tablespoons
11. Coriander chutney, 1 tablespoon
12. Juice of a lemon, 2-3 tablespoons
13. Carrot and peas, 1 cup
14. Ginger, 1/2 inch chopped
15. Garlic, 2 pods, chopped finely.
16. 1 dried red chili, broken into pieces
17. 1 potato, boiled, peeled, cut in cubes
18. Idlis, 5-6, cooled

Instructions:
1. Cut idlis in triangles
2. Heat oil in a wok and shallow fry the idlis. Set aside.
3. Pre-heat another wok and add oil and dried red chili.
4. Add mustard seeds to this other wok and allow it to cracke.
5. Add cumin seeds and when it starts to sizzle, add heeng and turmeric powder.
6. Mix well then add onions, garlic, and ginger. Fry until translucent.
7. Add tomato paste and mix well.
8. Add some water and peas and carrots and boil until all the water disappers.
9. Add some lemon juice, potato, and coriander chutney.
10. Add salt and mix well.
11. Add the idlis.

Serve warm with chilled Raita for lunch or with tea as a snack.