BM#102: Week 2, Day 2
Theme : Restaurant recipes

Me and my husband are both from middle income families where eating out was a rarity. It wasn’t financially feasible for our parents plus there was this firm notion in their minds that outside food is substandard. After we got married and moved out of my in laws place, me and my husband used to eat out a lot. The kitchen was always closed on weekends.

My in laws and my dad still look at eating out as wasting money, but my mother, who was held back by the financial situation while we were growing up but more so by my dad, was quick to change. She always liked eating out, but lacked company to do it. I remember her trying kanchipuram idlis at a South Indian restaurant we had visited once. So when I made kanchipuram idlis recently, I was thinking of her :-).

Read on for the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

• 1/2 cup raw rice
• 1/2 cup parboiled rice
• 3/4 cup urad dal
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• Salt as needed

For making the idli:

• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 2 teaspoons black pepper, crushed
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
• Handful of cashew nuts
• 1/4 teaspoon dry ginger powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method:

1. Soak the rice, fenugreek seeds and dal together overnight. Grind next morning using a grinder or mixie. Set aside to ferment. Refrigerate once the batter is fermented and has doubled in quantity. This usually takes about 8-10 hours depending on the weather.
2. When ready to prepare the idli, crush black pepper and cumin together using a mortar and pestle. Heat ghee and add the cumin pepper mix. Add cashews and sauté until it changes color. Remove from heat, let it cool completely and then add to the batter.
3. Add the turmeric powder and the dry ginger powder also to the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the idli molds and steam for 10-12 minutes until the idlis are cooked through.
5. Take off the heat, serve with sambar and idli podi.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the recipe from other Blogging Marathoners.