Preparation for idli sambar

Wash and pressure cook dal with 2 cups of water for 2 whistles or until soft. Or cook in a pot until soft. Mash it and set aside. If you like the hotel style tiffin sambar, you can also add pumpkin to the dal for cooking. Mash everything together and set aside.

Soak tamarind in little hot water, squeeze and extract the pulp. Keep this aside.

How to make idli sambar

Add oil to a pot and heat up. Throw in the cumin, mustard and methi. When they pop, add red chilies, curry leaves and hing.

When the leaves turn crisp, set aside half the tempering if you wish to add at the end.

Add veggies and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and saute until soft.

Sprinkle sambhar powder and saute for a minute without burning. Pour water and cook until the vegetables are soft cooked.

Next pour filtered tamarind and then the mashed dal. Stir and bring the idli sambar to a boil.

Add the rest of the tempering and coriander leaves. When it begins to bubble. Switch off. You can also make a fresh tempering but I don’t do.

Serve idli sambar hot with idli.

For Idli preparation

Firstly, in a large bowl soak 1 cup urad dal for 4 hours.

Drain off the water and transfer to blender or grinder.

Blend to smooth and fluffy batter adding water as required.

Transfer the batter to a large bowl. keep aside.

Now in another bowl take 2 cup idli rava.
rinse the idli rava with enough water and drain off the water.
repeat this for 2 or 3 times or till water runs clean.

Squeeze off water from idli rava and add to urad dal batter.
mix well making sure rava and urad dal are combined well.

Now cover and rest in warm place for 8-10 hours or till the batter ferments and doubles.

After 8 hours, batter doubles indicating well fermented with air pockets present.
add 1 tsp salt to the batter and mix gently without disturbing the air pockets.

Scoop the batter into idli plate greased with oil.

Place in steamer and steam for 10 minutes on medium flame or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
finally, soft idli recipe are ready to serve along with chutney and sambar.