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Greatest plates · Breakfast
Idli with Sambar and Coconut Chutney
Soft steamed rice-and-lentil cakes served with a hearty toor dal sambar and a fresh coconut chutney. The urad dal, toor dal and roasted chana dal do the heavy lifting, pushing each serve well past 18 g of plant protein. Batter needs an overnight soak plus 8–12 hours of fermentation, so plan ahead.
Serves 8Prep 40 minCook 40 minBreakfastlentils
Containsno known allergens identified
Protein 14%Carbs 58%Fat 28%
About 470 kcal a serve — 17 g protein, 69 g carbs, 15 g fat. Each segment is that macro's share of the calories, within about 10%.
Ingredients
Serves 8
Method
Soak the batter
soakPut the urad dal and fenugreek seeds in one bowl and the idli rice in another. Cover both generously with cold water and soak for 6 hours or overnight.
In two bowlsSoak →
6 hours
Grind to a batter
batterDrain the dal and blend with a little fresh water to a smooth, fluffy paste. Blend the rice separately to a slightly grainy paste. Combine both in a large bowl with the salt, mixing with your hand for a minute. The batter should be thick but pourable.
In the blenderGrind →
smooth
Ferment
fermentCover the bowl and leave in a warm spot for 8–12 hours until the batter has risen and smells pleasantly sour. Stir gently once before using.
8–12 hours
Cook the toor dal
dalSimmer the toor dal with the turmeric and 600 ml of the water until completely soft and collapsing, about 25 minutes. Mash smooth.
In the potSimmer →
25 min
Add the vegetables
sambarAdd the onion, carrot, beans, tomato, remaining 300 ml water, sambar powder and salt. Squeeze the tamarind and strain its liquid in, discarding the pulp. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes.
In the potSimmer →
12 min
Temper the sambar
tarkaHeat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan, crackle half the mustard seeds with 6 curry leaves, 1 dried chilli and the asafoetida, then pour over the sambar.
In the small panTemper →
1 min
Blend the chutney
chutneyBlend the coconut, roasted chana dal, green chilli, ginger, salt and about 120 ml water to a thick, spoonable chutney.
In the blenderBlend →
thick
Temper the chutney
tarkaHeat the remaining 1 tbsp oil, crackle the rest of the mustard seeds with the remaining curry leaves and chilli, and stir through the chutney.
In the small panTemper →
1 min
Steam the idli
steamLightly oil idli moulds (or small heatproof bowls), spoon in batter three-quarters full and steam over simmering water for 10–12 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool 2 minutes before unmoulding.
In the steamerSteam →
10–12 min
Serve
serveServe the hot idli with a generous ladle of sambar and a spoon of coconut chutney alongside.
hot
Cook's noteStart a day ahead: the batter needs an overnight soak and 8–12 hours to ferment. In cold weather, ferment inside an oven with just the light on.
Estimated per serve
470 kcal · 17 g protein · 69 g carbs · 15 g fatestimates, within ~10%
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