A recipe with a great play of simple ingredients presented in a grand manner..and that is exotic Masala Idli...
A Foreword About Masala Idli:
Idli is one of the popular breakfasts in India since several decades and this steam cooked idli wins the sole monopoly of the country owing to its soothing nature and versatility. It is the first choice that comes into anyone's mind for breakfast by default, and till date you could find its predominance both at homes and at restaurants. Any improvisations and innovations made with this thriving idli is equally fantabulous and becomes a huge hit. There are umpteen number of dishes where Idlis are not just Idlis, and the most delectable Masala Idli comes under this lucrative list, which is not only delicious but also feels light and comfortable on the stomach.
Rustle up your leftover idlis to make a satisfying dish that comes with a little twist of being spicy, colorful and more nutritious. Made with just a few vegetables and a handful of ingredients this comfort food would strike a chord with kids and adults alike. The aroma of this tantalizing Masala Idli would be irresistible and would tickle your taste buds to have an instant bite. You can layer up the diced idli with any vegetable that suits your fancy and can make the Masala Idli with the regular condiments and spice powders. Improvisation is an intrinsic part of any cooking and Indian Cuisine is a remarkable example of replenishing the staple foods in various forms and ways. Be it rice, roti, idli or dosa, you have a huge array of modified dishes that have these staple foods as base. Much interestingly, most of the times these improvised versions score better than the original ones and stabilize. This Masala Idli is no exception, which wins many a hearts and devoured by the patrons all over the country.
Here is the recipe of simple yet tasty recipe of Masala idli:
Ingredients Required To Make Masala Idli Recipe :
How To Make Masala Idli Recipe :
Take four or fice idlis and dice them into even sized cubes and keep aside.
Heat a saucepan and spill out a little butter and when it starts to melt, just add the measured quantities of red chili powder, coriander powder, pepper and jeera powder one by one and stir in.
Follow it up with half a teaspoon of garam masala and turmeric powder each. Rustle up the spices in butter for a minute plop in a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Then add half a teaspoon of sugar along with a little tomato puree. Squirt in the whole mixture with a tablespoon of curd and finally add one or two pinches of kasuri methi and lower the flame. At this stage, toss over the diced idli into the saucepan and swirl in until the spicy mixture gets seeped into the diced idli pieces. Sprinkle a few drops of water if necessary, and saute it well for two minutes and let it crisp up. Then turn off the flame and keep the pan aside. Let it marinate until the veggies are ready.
Heat a wok and tip in two tablespoons of cooking oil and when it is heated, temper with a little jeera seeds and one or two slit green chilies. Drop in the finely chopped onion and when it softens a little, add the chopped tomatoes to it. Then add the diced shimla mirch along with the chopped french beans and carrot. Finally add in the boiled potato with a nice stir. Sprinkle a little salt and a few drops of water and pop the lid on.Let it get steamed cooked for three to five minutes approximately.
After a while, take out the lid and add the marinated idli pieces into the wok and mix altogether.
Rustle up the whole thing in high flame for two minutes and sprinkle a little oil if necessary. When it turns aromatic, turn off the flame and garnish with some fresh cilantro, spring onion and a dash of lemon. Relish it hot on a rainy day along with a sizzling cup of coffee and an interesting book in hand.
Tips To Make The Best Masala Idli :
- You can add baby corn, cauli flower and cabbage to make it more delectable depending upon your choice and liking. You can also add broccoli to make it more nutritious.
- You can make this Masala Idli even with left over Idlis as an evening snack.
- Be lavish about the usage of onion as it adds more taste to the Masala Idli. Adding of potatoes is optional as it may add on to the calorie count.
- You can use green, red and yellow shimla mirch either as a single color or as a combination to make it colorful and attractive especially when you prepare it for kids' lunch boxes.
- Be moderate in adding the spice powders as one flavor should not predominate the other to get a perfect taste.
- Instead of curd you can also use plain yoghurt and similarly you can use tomato ketch up in place of tomato puree.
- We add a little sugar to blend all the flavors and if you do not use white sugar you can add a pinch of palm sugar or jaggery.
- Groundnut oil or sesame oil serves the best for making masala Idli as it adds more flavor to the dish.
- If you make masala idli from fresh idlis, do not chop immediately after steaming. Let it cool for sometime and when it comes to room temperature, refrigerate for at least ten minutes before preparation so as to make it firm. Or else, it may become too soft or even mushy.
- Just semi-cook the veggies so that it is crunchy, colorful (much needed tip to attract kids) and also nutritious.
- Less oil works wonders in this recipe and therefore you can eat it at any part of the day even in large portion.
Some Useful Observations:
What is the difference between Idli Fry and Masala Idli?
We chop the idlis and deep fry them and add to the sauteed vegetables in the former and we just marinate the idli pieces with tempered ingredients and partially cooked veggies in the latter.
Can we prepare the masala idli with mini idlis?
Yes, It will be very nice and we can follow the same method with mini idlis and it will be an interesting dish for the lunch box too. Use cherry tomatoes for a fantastic finish.
What are the common mistakes that can diminish the overall taste of masala idli and how to avoid them?
Excess vegetables and overdose of spices can spoil the entire flavor of masala idli and similarly excessive oil too can subdue the overall taste of it. And therefore moderation is the key point here.
What are the minimal vegetables required to make Masala Idli in an instant?
With just onion tomato and some left over Idlis we can make wonderful masala Idli in a jiffy. The addition of a bell pepper can make it exotic. You can make this fast fix recipe in just five minutes if you get guests unexpectedly or if your child asks for an interesting instant snack and if you have just ten minutes at hand.
What is the suitable accompaniment for masala Idli?
Actually masala idli tastes fantabulous just as such, though some may love to have a simple dip like curd, chutney or tomato ketch up.
Ingredients
Directions
Take four or fice idlis and dice them into even sized cubes and keep aside.
Heat a saucepan and spill out a little butter and when it starts to melt, just add the measured quantities of red chili powder, coriander powder, pepper and jeera powder one by one and stir in.
Follow it up with half a teaspoon of garam masala and turmeric powder each. Rustle up the spices in butter for a minute plop in a teaspoon of ginger garlic paste. Then add half a teaspoon of sugar along with a little tomato puree. Squirt in the whole mixture with a tablespoon of curd and finally add one or two pinches of kasuri methi and lower the flame. At this stage, toss over the diced idli into the saucepan and swirl in until the spicy mixture gets seeped into the diced idli pieces. Sprinkle a few drops of water if necessary, and saute it well for two minutes and let it crisp up. Then turn off the flame and keep the pan aside. Let it marinate until the veggies are ready.
Heat a wok and tip in two tablespoons of cooking oil and when it is heated, temper with a little jeera seeds and one or two slit green chilies. Drop in the finely chopped onion and when it softens a little, add the chopped tomatoes to it. Then add the diced shimla mirch along with the chopped french beans and carrot. Finally add in the boiled potato with a nice stir. Sprinkle a little salt and a few drops of water and pop the lid on.Let it get steamed cooked for three to five minutes approximately.
After a while, take out the lid and add the marinated idli pieces into the wok and mix altogether.
Rustle up the whole thing in high flame for two minutes and sprinkle a little oil if necessary. When it turns aromatic, turn off the flame and garnish with some fresh cilantro, spring onion and a dash of lemon. Relish it hot on a rainy day along with a sizzling cup of coffee and an interesting book in hand.
