Idli is a beloved South Indian breakfast dish that we enjoy preparing and sharing with our family. It's a wholesome and fluffy steamed treat made from a blend of semolina (sooji rava) and yogurt.

The preparation is simple, and the flavors are incredibly satisfying. Whether you're an expert cook or just starting in the kitchen, we promise this recipe will bring smiles to your breakfast table.

Ingredients for Perfection

We always gather these simple and easily available ingredients to create the perfect idli:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds

• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds

• 1 teaspoon split Bengal gram (chana dal)

• 10 fresh curry leaves

• 1 dried red chile pepper, crushed

• 1 tablespoon cashews, crushed

• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

• 1 teaspoon diced green chile pepper

• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder (hing)

• 1 cup semolina (sooji rava)

• ½ cup yogurt

• 2 tablespoons chopped carrots

• Salt to taste (optional)

• 1 teaspoon fruit salt (such as Eno®)

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Video by Hebbars Kitchen

Step-by-Step Directions

Prepare the seasoning base:

We start by heating vegetable oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Adding mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and chana dal, we sauté for a few seconds. Then, we toss in curry leaves, dried red chile, cashews, ginger, green chiles, and hing, stirring until the cashews turn golden brown, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.

Roast the semolina:

Next, we add semolina to the pan and stir it over low heat until it's slightly browned. Once done, we remove this mixture to a plate and let it cool completely for about 10 minutes.

Prepare the batter:

Combining yogurt, carrots, and water, we mix the semolina mixture into a smooth batter. After letting the batter rest for 15 minutes, we adjust the consistency by adding more water if necessary.

Steaming the Idli

With an idli pan greased and water boiling for steaming, we're ready to finish our preparation. Adding fruit salt to the batter, we mix it thoroughly and pour the batter into the molds. Steaming for about 10 minutes results in fluffy, perfectly cooked idlis.

Serving Suggestions

Once steamed, we gently remove the idlis from the molds and serve them hot. Pairing these delightful breakfast bites with coconut chutney or a warm bowl of sambar makes for an unforgettable meal.

Give this recipe a try, and let us know how much you and your family loved these fluffy, flavorful idlis!