The knack to get perfect sambar idli is to make the idli texture porous so that it absorbs the sambar well and for sambar, though tiffin sambar suits well for mini idli I would recommend using arachuvitta sambar which is thick and flavourful and gives the hotel taste.
I was also waiting to get a new idli cooker as my old one got spoilt as its been many yrs. I already have a separate mini idli pot which you can see in my pepper idli and podi idli post….but that pot is so tiny it can steam only 8 mini idlis at a time.
Last time when we went to Chennai, I bought this idli pot the brand name is Amarjothi(I am telling this detail for few readers who asked me the brand of idli pot I use), this mini idli mould didn’t come as a set I got it separately such that it fixes in my idli stand.
Mini Idli Sambar Recipe
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Idli Batter – 1 cup
Tiffin Sambar / Arachuvitta Sambar / Sambar – as required
Big Onion – 1 finely chopped
Coriander Leaves – 1 tsp finely chopped for garnish
Ghee – 2 tsp
Method:
- Keep the idli batter ready.Take the idli batter in a small spoon, pour the batter into mini idli moulds.
- Now carefully place it in your idli stand stacked along with the normal idli mould and place it inside the idli cooker having water till 1/4 th of the cooker.
- Steam it for 8-10mins.Switch off , sprinkle a tsp of water on the idlis and set aside for 5mins.Use a spoon to run around the idlis in the mould, flip them out and keep aside.In a plate add a laddle full of sambar first.
- Arrange the mini idlis then add more sambar on top.Drizzle ghee.Garnish with chopped onion and coriander leaves.
Serve hot!
My Notes:
- Make sure you grind the idli batter to the correct consitency sot hat your idlis are porous.If the idlis are poros it will absorb sambar well.
- While grinding grind rice little coarse to get the perfect texture.
- Sambar should be neither thick nor runny, it should be inbetween.
- Once you make the plate ready, serve it immediately.
- You can use tiffin sambar or any lunch sambar for this. But my recommendation is for Arachuvitta Sambar.
- Add veggies or a combination of veggies so that sambar is flavourful.I used carrots and shallots(small onion) for making this sambar.
My Kids favourite, colourful they like 🙂 daily I am waiting for ur post. Thanks sharmi all for ur ideas, I will try it
Fav breakfast.. Ur pics r tempting
Yum yum idlis soaked in sambar.
Evergreeen pair….ur last pic is awesome
Looks yummmm….my lil one's staple order at restaurants.
Looks delicious and very tempting.. Nice clicks as always…
my avourite breakfast…
My toddler LOVES idlis and these mini ones would be fun to make to him!
– Meena (www.hookedonheat.com)
Neat pictures of idly making Sharmi!
Made this yesterday.Very tasty.Thanks.
Hi Sharmi…..we love mini idlis esp the one we get at ID……so coz of our love, I bought a mini idli cooker almost similar like the one u posted in the post except mine just makes only mini idlis….the prob is the lowest rack gets soggy and have to literally throw off the idlis in spite of adding very lil water….the next time I tried I added again very less water and without the weights and left the lowest one free!!!still I cud see water in the lowest rack….could u pls help me with this!!!I might be going wrong somewhere!!!I do have a idli cooker for the normal idlis and the same prob there tooo….so don't use it!!!plss help…appreciate if u do a post it!!
The lower ones are usual idlis and the mini idli mould I got separately to fix it in the rack,I havent faced such issues…not sure why you face the issue
Hello Sharmi, Normally we are grinding cooked rice along with the dal / raw rice to make idly / dosa. But in ur recipe, u r not using cooked rice. So do we get spongy soft idly without using cooked rice?
Each recipe is different and my recipe doesn't use cooked rice but still the idlis come out super soft.Try this and see.
Could you mention where you got the mini idli mould from? I live in the USA.