Ingredients: 3 cups Idli Rice,1 cup White Urad Dal (Whole),1 teaspoon Methi Seeds (Fenugreek Seeds),1 tablespoons Sabudana (Tapioca Pearls),Salt – to taste,1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds,1 teaspoon Chana dal (Bengal Gram Dal),1 tablespoon Cumin seeds (Jeera),1/4 teaspoon White Urad Dal (Split),1/2 tablespoon Black pepper powder,1 inch Ginger – finely chopped,Cashew nuts – Few,1 sprig Curry leaves,4 teaspoons Ghee,4 teaspoons Gingelly oil,1 pinch Asafoetida (hing),1/2 cup Thonnai (dried leaves)
Time in minutes: 420 Servings: 4 Course: South Indian Breakfast Diet: Vegetarian
Instructions: To begin making the Thonnai Idli Recipe recipe, soak the items mentioned under ‘For the Idli Batter’ for 6 to 8 hours except salt.Grind them slightly coarse than regular idli batter in a mixer grinder. Take a mix and grind cumin seeds & pepper into a coarse consistency.Take a tadka pan, add ghee and gingelly oil. Once heated add hing and mustard and let it splutter.Add urad dal, bengal gram, ginger, cashew, cumin & pepper powder and curry leaves and let it get cooked.Mix it with the idli batter. Let the idli batter ferment for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.Make sure the thonnai is cleaned with a wet cloth. No oil needed to be applied.Once fermented, pour it into the 3/4th of Thonnai.Arrange them in a pan which can fit into pressure cooker or idly pan. Make sure the idlis are tightly arranged one next to each other.If idlis are loosely arranged the thonnai will open up easily.Steam the idlis for 20 minutes, take out and let it cool for just 5 minutes.Pack Thonnai Idli in your lunch box along with South Indian Coconut Chutney or Tomato Onion Chutney. You can also have it for a tasty and healthy breakfast.